The unexpected key to her heart
by Grace Leigh
Summary: Penelope and Tara's encounter in the hospital breakroom, in season 11, definitely wasn't the last of their more intimate interactions. What if after a night of drinking together, a hangover, and a misunderstanding, one of them gets the courage to finally figure out what's going on between them. What will occur? A/n: This story is being rewritten at the moment.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: This idea has been in my head ever since the moment I saw the episode; a beautiful disaster. I love my Morcia, they're my OTP, but I definitely am game for Tarcia - they would make a great couple in my opinion. And I love Queer Penelope Garcia, because lets be honest she would be the perfect character for it. So this is a one-shot (might turn it into a multi, maybe) about what I wished would've happened after and in between the scenes after Tara and Penelope had their small talk in the hospital break room.**

 **A/n2: Some of you may notice some differences in this chapter, but that's because I've decided to rewrite this story. Looking back I noticed there were a lot of errors and mistakes in the writing, so I wanted to rewrite it, to make it more readable. The only thing I'm going to change though about this story is the timeline, I'm going to alter it, and the reason for that is that I thought the story was _too_ fast paced and I want to slow it down. Besides that nothing has changed, the storyline is still the same, and I haven't added anything new. So as to not make this author's note even longer with more babbling, lets get reading! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not the characters, not the show - nothing expect this plot bunny!**

* * *

''Hey, that thing have hot cocoa'' Tara asked as she walked into the hospital breakroom, making Penelope look up and nod silently at her, ''That's what I'm getting'' she replied, her voice quiet and emotional.

''Make it two'' Tara said, as she made the last few steps to her co-worker. Her eyes following Garcia's hands as she took the styrofoam cup, filled with the hot liquid, out of the machine and handed it over to her, their fingers brushing briefly against each other.

''Thanks'' Tara said softly, a hint of concern lacing it making it sound like her voice hitched a bit. She kept her eyes trained on the blonde, looking intently at all the emotions that painted her face, although one was clearly the dominant one - worry.

''How're you holding up'' she asked, as the warmth of her cup seeped through the material of it and into her hands, the feeling welcoming to her cold hands.

Garcia looked up the moment Tara asked her this, her face even more distraught than a few seconds ago, ''I've never seen him like this'' she told her, a new batch of tears forming in her eyes, and she didn't even try to keep them in anymore ''And I wanna fix it, but I can't. It's too much for anyone, and it's not fair. It needs to stop''.

Tara's eyes softened even more at this side of the tech she hadn't seen before yet. She wanted to comfort her and find those specific words that would make her laugh, or even let a small smile grace her lips, but there weren't any, all she could let out right now was a small and silent ''Yeah'' of agreement. Nothing in her vocabulary came close to having the ability to ease Penelope's mind and she knew that, so she settled for the small 'yeah' and kept on looking at her. And if she hadn't she would've missed the inhale and exhale of a small breath, that seemed to mean a lot, and when she followed Penelope's gaze she understood completely why.

As Morgan walked past the break room window Garcia couldn't let herself look at him for long, if she would she knew there was going to be the ugly cry and so much more. She couldn't do that right now, all she had to focus on now was to catch the SOB that had harmed Savannah and the baby inside of her. So she let her gaze wander to the otherside of the room, meeting Tara's worried eyes once before turning away, as tears trickled down her cheeks. Tara again knew that there was no way she could comfort her, but that didn't stop her mind from trying to find words that could make her feel better. That could make a beautiful smile appear on her lips. But nothing came to mind, so she kept looking on and hoped that this was over soon, so Penelope could turn to her lovely and upbeat self again.

* * *

After the small talk between the two women they went back to work, trying their hardest to catch the Unsub and bring safety to the small family that was still in danger. It wasn't long before Derek fled the hospital, and Penelope got the news from the doctors that Savannah needed an emergency c-section. Everything went by in a whirlwind and didn't settle down until they caught the Unsub, Derek rushed to the hospital - followed close by the team - and they all settled down in the waiting area for news on the baby and mother.

Tara was the first one to arrive in the waiting area and saw Penelope sitting alone, worried looking on at the closed doors that seperated her from the chaos going on behind them.

''Hey'' the brunette said softly, sitting down in the only empty seat beside Penelope.

''Hi'' a small smile painted the blonde's lips, but it soon faltered.

''You okay'' Tara raised both her eyebrows, looking from one eye to the other, as she saw Garcia let out a sigh and slump back against the seat.

''I'm slightly better'' she shrugged, ''I'm glad we caught that son of a bitch, and that Derek's here to see his child being born, but it's been a rough couple of hours. Everything has just been a bit too much''.

''Yeah'' Tara laid a hand on top of Penelope's in a comforting motion, ''I think sleep will do everybody good tonight''.

''You think'' Penelope looked up to Tara, a teasing glint in her eyes and a smile now much brighter on her face, which made the brunette let out a chuckle - glad that she could make the bubbly blonde at least smile again.

After sitting in silence for a bit Penelope bit her lip, as she could still feel the weight of Tara's hand on hers, ''Thank you for comforting me'' she said softly, ''Not just now, but through this whole case'' she added, clarifying what her words meant.

''It's what we have to do right'' Tara smiled softly, ''We need to keep each other sane, and make sure no one has a mental breakdown because of a case'' she said.

''I guess...'' Garcia smiled tightly at her now, after hearing that she only did this because she thought she had to do it, ''But still...you didn't have to do it, it's not your responsibility''.

''I know'' Tara nodded, ''But what was it that JJ said: as a team we not only are co-workers but also family, and you do everything for your family to keep them safe and looked after''.

''That sounds a lot like Jayje, yeah'' Penelope said with a chuckle, instantly feeling some tension leave her body because of it.

''What sounds a lot like me'' JJ's voice interrupted their conversation, making the two look up to the rest of the team, minus Morgan, walking up to them.

''Hi guys'' Tara greeted them with a smile.

''So...what's this thing about me and what I say?'' JJ looked from Penelope to Tara and back, waiting for a response.

''Just something about family and being there for each other'' Penelope explained with a shrug, which made her realize that her hand was still underneath Tara's. She slowly, and thought unknowingly, pulled her hand from underneath the brunette's, but just when she had her hand back she thought she heard Tara clear her throat, and saw the other woman look at their hands out of the corner of her eyes, which made Penelope frown. Tara only put her hand on hers for comfort, right? Nothing more, right?

''Yeah, that does sound like me'' JJ agreed with a nod of her head, interrupting Penelope's thoughts, making her look back up to her friends who all stood in a circle around them now, all of them waiting on news on the baby.

Penelope shook her thoughts away from the weird hand thing and brought her attention back to her friends and the conversation going around. No need to overthink something that's not there, right?

So they talked for a while, bringing up happy memories, and making each other laugh. Making them forget all about the horrible things that led up to this moment. It felt nice that they could be like this again, that they could relax and not worry about anything for a bit. Although they knew that this was probably for only a short period of time, because monday morning will roll around soon enough with a new case and new stress. But for now they were care-free, and JJ was completely right about one thing; they were definitely not only colleagues, but they were their own created family, something that made Tara feel happy and safe at the same time.

After Derek announced that he got a son and accepted all the hugs coming at him, it seemed like Garcia was out of the funk Tara saw her in not even minutes ago, but something told her that it was only a facade to keep her emotions at bay. She wasn't going to push the woman though, it wasn't her place, so she pushed it to the back of her mind, although she kept an eye on her.

After seeing the baby boy and congratulating Savannah, they all set to get home. It had been a long day, and the whole team was exhausted from all the events that had happened in the past hours. Penelope hung behind a bit, soaking up the last bits of the happy couple and their son, before stepping away and leaving them alone.

She was extremely happy for them, she really was, but there was still this nagging feeling she couldn't place - something that felt a lot like her own internal clock that was ticking away. She shook it away though, she still had enough years to settle down and have children of her own, but seeing her team - her family - having it all, was getting to her a bit lately. Not because she was jealous, or not happy for them, but rather that she wondered why it had never happened for her.

And she knew she never felt strongly enough to marry someone, let alone have children with them, but she sometimes wondered why. Why no one walked into her life that made her feel like walking on clouds, made her feel full of love and light. She never felt it with Kevin, she never felt it with Sam, and she definitely never felt it for any of the people who came before and after them. So what was wrong?

And for a while she had let it go, especially after Kevin and her broke up, and her relationship with Sam didn't go anywhere. She was tired of failed relationships after that, and she told herself that she needed to live for herself now - make a good life for herself on her own. And for a couple of years she took her own advice seriously, and she was somewhat happy in those years, but somewhere between then and now something changed. She doesn't know what did, or how it changed, she just knew something had changed, and because of that old feelings surfaced again. Feelings of wanting a spouse, feelings of wanting a family, and basically having feelings of wanting to have the happily ever after life. But for that she first needed to find someone worthy of all of that.

So with a sigh Penelope took one last glance at the happy couple and their brand new baby boy, before she closed the hospital door behind her, and left the happy couple to enjoy these moments as a family alone.

Turning around, so she could leave, she let out a yelp when she suddenly stood eye to eye with Tara, not having expected that.

''Gosh...you scared me'' the blonde breathed out, a hand on her chest to settle her racing heart.

''I'm sorry'' Tara immediately apologized, ''I didn't meant to''.

''I know, I know. Don't worry'' Penelope waved the apology away, before she cocked her head and looked up to the taller woman with a small frown, ''Why are you actually still here?'' she questioned.

''Wait...'' Penelope's eyes widened as she realized how that sounded, ''That wasn't how I meant it'' she said, ''I really didn't mean it like that...I'm just surprised tha-''.

''Hey, hey...slow down'' Tara chuckled, cutting her off, which made Garcia shut her mouth and purse her lips into a thin line, ''I just thought I'd wait for you, to make sure you were fine and so you didn't have to walk out alone'' she explained her reasons to stay.

Penelope's face softened at that, the woman really was remarkable and marvelous, as she had called her when they met many months ago, ''That's sweet of you, but I'm fine'' she reassured the brunette.

''You sure?'' Tara eyed her, which got her a nod in return, ''Okay'' she nodded, ''But for my own peace of mind can I give you a ride home?'' she asked, ''I know you came with the rest, but they're all already gone, and to wait on a taxi when I can drive you sounds unnecessary''.

''Yeah, of course you can drive me home'' Penelope told her, a soft smile forming on her lips.

''Good'' Tara smiled back.

The both of them first walked to the room where they had worked from, to pick up their bags, before leaving the building.

''Here, let me take that'' Tara said, gesturing to the second bag Penelope was struggling with carrying.

''You don't have to'' Garcia said, as she slowed down in the hospital hallway.

But Tara wouldn't have it, ''Gimme'' she said, extending out her right hand so the blonde could hand over the bag to her.

''All right'' Penelope relented, handing over the much heavier bag than the one that already hung from her shoulder.

''Damn'' Tara let out, as the weight of the bag was now hanging from her hand, ''Did you pack bricks or something'' she asked as they made their way outside into the night, a few stars and the moon shining upon them - lighting the way to Tara's car.

Penelope giggled, this wasn't the first time someone mentioned the weight of her bags, everyone on the team had already made their remarks on them _way_ before Tara, ''Sometimes'' Penelope joked, ''Just so my lovely handsome Chocolate Thunder will carry them for me''.

''Tease'' Tara shook her head with a chuckle, although she liked the nature of Garcia's humor.

''You know it, Chocolate Angel'' Penelope winked, which she shocked herself with a bit. She was the flirting kind, hell the conversations between Morgan and her could be called on the border of phone sex sometimes, but she hasn't been this bold with Tara yet. She hadn't even given the woman a nickname yet, she always called her Tara or Agent Lewis. So this was definitely something new.

''Chocolate angel, húh'' Tara raised an eyebrow, an amused look covering her face.

''Uhmm...'' Penelope didn't know what to say, ''It just slipped out...'' she said, not knowing if Tara was comfortable or uncomfortable with the name calling.

''Well...'' Tara said, as she thought about the nickname, and couldn't find any reason to not like it, ''I like it'' she said, her lips turning up into a small smile.

''You do?'' Penelope said slowly, coming to a halt infront of Tara's car.

''Yeah, why wouldn't I'' Tara said with a shrug, not being faced by it, ''I've actually been waiting for you to finally give me a nickname''.

''Seriously'' Garcia said incredulously, having never known that.

''Of course'' Tara said, ''After I heard the way you've been talking to everyone on the team, I felt a little bit left out'' she explained her reasons.

''You really are marvelous, you know that'' Penelope's face split into a grin.

''I know'' Tara said with a wink, as she unlocked her car.

''Oh...don't get cocky now'' Penelope smirked, as she dumped her bags onto the backseat, before getting into the car herself.

''Wouldn't dream of it'' Tara teased back, as they drove away.

* * *

Arriving at Penelope's apartment building, Tara parked her car in a spot and cut off the engine. Penelope looked up to her apartment window as she undid her seat-belt, before turning her head and facing her colleague, ''Do you wanna come up for a drink?'' she asked, not wanting the night to end yet, and not wanting to be alone yet either.

''Yeah sure, why not'' Tara replied with a nod of her head.

Both women got out of the car and Tara followed the blonde up the stairs of the building, all the while looking around her. This was an unfamiliar side of town she hadn't been before, so she took the time to memorize where she was. If it came down to her, this wouldn't be the first and last time she would step foot here.

Penelope unlocked the door and let Tara through before following behind her. They took the stairs to the first floor and came to a halt infront of Garcia's frontdoor.

''Welcome to my humble abode'' Penelope said as she walked through the door into the apartment, leaving the door open for Tara to walk in behind her. Penelope dumped her keys into the bowl that stood on a side-table beside her frontdoor, before taking off her coat and shoes.

It was late at night, so it was dark when Tara stepped foot for the first time into the apartment. She watched Penelope take off her coat and shoes, before watching her make her way around the room, turning on lights one by one, the room coming into view fully now. Tara's eyes gazed around the small space, and looked at all the things scattered around, everything screaming Penelope Garcia. Which made Tara laugh internally, because she didn't expect anything less from a magnificent woman like her.

''All right'' Penelope said, dumping her bag beside the couch, before turning around and looking over at the brunette, ''Why don't you make yourself at home and I'll get us something to drink, okay''.

''Yeah, sounds good'' Tara replied with a soft smile, following Penelope into the kitchen with her eyes, before turning her gaze back on the livingroom where she still hadn't moved an inch. So she first closed the frontdoor, having completely forgotten to do that after the moment she walked in, before walking further into the apartment. She dropped Penelope's bag, the one she had been carrying for her, next to the blonde's other ones on the ground by the couch.

Tara was about to sit down on the couch when she heard strange noises coming from the kitchen, which made her frown and wonder what was going on, and wonder what the hell Garcia was doing besides getting them drinks. So instead of sitting down she started following the sounds.

''What are you doing?'' Tara furrowed her brows when she watched Penelope reach up to something high in the cabinets.

''I've got some good wine up there, but I'm too short to reach it'' Penelope explained as she tried reaching higher, but only the tips of her fingers reached high enough to touch the bottle.

Tara, not thinking twice, walked up behind Penelope and reached over her, taking the bottle from its place and putting it down infront of Penelope on the counter, ''Here you go'' Tara said with a smile, as she moved away from behind the blonde.

''Thank you'' Penelope's cheeks flushed a scarlet red, which she wrote off as coming from trying to get the bottle, instead of the beautiful woman's front almost touching her back.

''Why is it up there anyway, if you can't reach it?'' Tara questioned leaning against the opposite counter, as Penelope busied herself with getting a corkscrew and two wine glasses.

Penelope felt the warmth finally fading away from her cheeks and turned around, silently hoping that her face didn't give away that she was definitely affected by what just happened, before answering the other woman, ''It's up there because the last time Reid was here he didn't think about putting these things'' holding up the wine bottle, ''on my height level. He thought it was funny putting it all the way up there'' she said, pointing to the cabinet where it came from.

''That's what you get when you let tall people into your house'' Tara joked.

''Ha ha ha'' Penelope mocked, handing over the wine bottle to the brunette, ''Very funny'' the blonde said, as she picked up the glasses and corkscrew from the counter, before walking out of the kitchen and into the livingroom, Tara following her.

''I _am_ funny'' Tara stated, putting down the bottle on the coffeetable before taking a seat on the couch, making herself comfortable.

''Getting cocky again, I see'' Penelope teased as she undid the cork of the bottle before pouring the liquid into the two waiting glasses. Handing one over to Tara after she was done, before picking up her own glass and sitting down next to brunette.

''Only to tease you'' Tara replied with a smile, before taking a sip from her glass - savoring the taste, ''This is really good wine'' she said, as a soft appreciative moan left her mouth.

''What can I say, I know my alcohol'' Penelope said, ''And I don't settle for anything less than the best'' she added with a smile, before taking a sip from her own glass.

''Well...I'm very grateful for that, because this is delicious'' Tara said looking at Penelope over the top of her glass, before taking another sip, her taste buds having the time of their lives at the moment.

The pair sat there for a bit just sipping from their glasses, silence falling between them. But it wasn't and awkward silence, although Penelope sort of had expected that. After all Tara and her never had get together's before like this, not like the girls and her, or Derek and her.

Thinking about Derek, Penelope found herself drifting off into her own thoughts, her mind slowly starting to wrap around the fact that life was changing. Her Hotstuff had a family of his own now; a gorgeous wife and a beautiful son. And she was extremely happy for him, don't get her wrong, but she also knew that change wasn't her strongest point. She had a tough time getting used to new things, especially when those things have been in her life for so long.

But Penelope knew that change was coming and that nothing could stop it, and she also knew that her best friend didn't want anything more than to just be there for his family, to provide for them, to take care of them, and see his son grow up. And those thoughts led her to eventually figure out that there's a huge chance that Derek's going to leave the BAU, something she doesn't know if she'll be prepared for. Her heart ached slightly at the thought of not seeing Derek, or talking to Derek almost everyday anymore, but she couldn't be selfish like that, the man has his own life now and needs to do what is best for him and his family.

''Hey, what are you thinking about?'' a soft voice interrupted Penelope's thoughts, making her look up from her glass, ''You've been far, _far_ away for the past five minutes'' Tara added with a chuckle, when she noticed that she had caught the blonde's attention.

Letting out a sigh Penelope bit her bottomlip, as she thought about how she could best describe what she was thinking about, and the feelings that came with that, ''I...I was just thinking about Derek'' she said.

''What about Derek?'' Tara asked, not understanding why Penelope's expression would look like that when all these happy things were happening to Morgan. The blonde should be happy for her best friend right, not feel gloomy.

''Just things'' Penelope shrugged, not really elaborating.

Tara watched the emotional turmoil going on, on Penelope's face and thought back to the last couple of days and it finally dawned on her, how could she not have figured this out sooner - it was so obvious, ''You're in love with him, aren't you?''.

Penelope's head shot up and she looked straight over at Tara with a deer caught in headlights expression, ''W-what no...I'm not'' the blonde shook her head.

''Oh...I'm sorry'' Tara immediately apologized, realizing she was completely wrong, ''I thought with everything, and the way you're acting'' she said, trying to explain why she thought that in the first place, ''I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed''.

''You didn't completely assume wrong'' Penelope said, ''Because at one point I was, I really was in love with him, but some things are just not meant to be. As you can see''.

''I can see that, but you guys have been good friends way longer than Savannah and him are together'' Tara frowned, ''Why haven't you ever told him? There was plenty of time before Savannah came into his life, right?''.

''There was'' Penelope nodded, ''But I never told him because I never thought I stood a chance'' she said honestly, ''I saw the women he was after and they were nothing like me, they were always like Savannah''.

''But that doesn't mean that he couldn't have been into you'' Tara said matter of fact.

''I know'' Penelope nodded, ''But, you know, insecurities'' she said with a sarcastic laugh.

''I understand'' Tara said softly, still having some battles of her own when it comes to insecurities.

''So, yeah, that's definitely the biggest reason I never told him'' Penelope sighed, taking another sip from her drink, ''And eventually, about two or three years ago, I just let it go. I gave up'' she said, ''And you know what they say, sometimes dreams should just be that - dreams''.

''Maybe'' Tara shrugged, ''But don't you ever think about what could've happened. What could've been?'' Tara wondered. If she were in love with someone she at least would want to know what her options were.

''I do'' Penelope replied with a nod of her head, ''I've thought about the life Derek and I could've had, what our future would've looked like. But I can see that whatever I thought he and I could've had, Savannah and him now have, including so much more'' she said, ''So I've accepted it because life isn't a fairytale, you don't always get what you want''.

''That's completely true'' Tara sighed, as she could relate to everything her friend just said.

''So...there's your answer'' Penelope said, her lips curling up into small but soft smile, ''And, you know, a part of me will always love him, but it's not enough anymore to not move on and find someone that makes me as happy as Savannah makes him''.

''That's pretty selfless of you'' Tara told her, admiring the beautiful blonde next to her, she never met someone quite like her and for some reason it does something to her emotions, ''I know enough people that would do anything for love, even though the person they're in love with doesn't want them'' she said. She has been too long in this line of work to see what love can do to- and with a person. Horrible things have been done in the name of love. And she knows Penelope is not like that, the woman isn't crazy, but it's selfless in her eyes to let go of someone just so they can be happy.

''I know, have you seen our job'' Penelope snorted, which made Tara chuckle, ''I just don't want to interfere in someone's happiness, and Derek's happiness is much more important than whatever I'm feeling for him''.

''You're one of the few than, especially in this period of time'' Tara said.

''That's because I know better, and those lousy- or crazy people who aren't like that just think they're the best, and that they should get whatever they want. But they will eventually realize that the world doesn't revolve around them, we're just one of the few that are already there'' Penelope said, before throwing back the last bit of her wine, feeling herself completely relax for the first time since she woke up this morning. Talking to someone about this definitely did wonders for her.

''Those are wise words, M'Lady'' Tara said, clinking her glass with Garcia's empty one before drinking the last bit from her glass too.

''Starting with the nicknames now too, húh'' Penelope teased, pouring some more wine in both of their glasses. They had the next day off because of the hectic case, and she was going to take as much advantage of that as she could.

''Only because you started it'' Tara replied with a smile, never having realized how comfortable she was around Penelope, ''You do realize I still have to drive home, right'' the brunette chuckled when her glass was refilled almost to the brim.

''Don't worry about it, just crash here'' Penelope said with a shrug, ''You're not the first nor the last person that has stayed here because they were too drunk after a movie night, or a get together''.

''Only if you don't mind'' Tara made sure that she wasn't intruding.

''Of course not. I wouldn't have offered if I minded, would I'' Penelope reassured her that she didn't mind at all.

''I guess you're right'' Tara smiled.

''I am right'' Penelope said matter of fact, as she put down the now half empty wine bottle on the coffeetable, ''It would actually be nice to have someone here tonight, so I'm not alone'' Penelope averted her eyes, not sure how the other woman was going to pick that up, because, honestly, she didn't even know herself. She just knew that she wanted Tara to be there, that it felt right to have her there.

''Well...than it looks like I'm staying'' Tara's smile softened, as she kept her eyes intently on Penelope. Both feeling that those words meant more than just one night, and feeling that it meant more than they both could comprehend and wrap their minds around at the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: From this chapter on I'm not going to follow the series storyline, it's not necessary and it'll only limit me eventually. Also I won't be ditching Hotch, though I will eventually add Emily to it, because of Morgan leaving, that part of the storyline I will be following. By the way the hardest part of writing Penelope is the nicknames she comes up with, a lot of them have already been used between Morgan and her. So I've got a hard time finding and thinking about new ones!**

 **A/n2: Thank you so much for the few reviews, follows and faves this story got, you guys are the best. It keeps me motivated to go on! Btw this chapter has been rewritten (nothing has changed, I only corrected some wrongs!).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not the characters, not the show - nothing except for this plot bunny!**

* * *

The next morning Penelope woke up with an uncomfortable headache, groaning she rubbed her eyes free from sleep, trying to piece together everything that had happened that led up to this massive headache. She remembered the case, she remembered Savannah being rushed to the operation room and the baby being born, but a lot after that was a blur for her. She must've drank way too much alcohol. It was actually a thing that started a couple of years ago, after a rough case she would crack open a bottle and drown herself in it, so she could relax and not have the nightmares - she frequently had - invade her night sleep. She never told anybody about them, because she knew they all had the same, and she couldn't burden them with her small problems, when they already had their own to take care of. So she kept on reminding herself that it were only nightmares, they can't harm her, and they'll eventually fade away. Rubbing her forehead, she realized that this headache was a lot heavier than her usual ones, she must've taken way more than usual last night.

She took her glasses from the bedside table and put them on, after that picking up her phone, checking for the time, and messages or missed calls. All she got was a text message from Morgan, a few pictures of his beautiful baby boy attached to it. She had to smile, the baby really was already a looker, she didn't expect anything less though, with parents like that. Letting out a small sigh she locked her phone and got out of bed, it was already much later than she expected to wake up. Picking out some clothes to wear she made her way to the bathroom, and hoped that the headache would settle down a bit after a long hot shower. Luckily the whole team had today off, so she could relax, take care of herself, and get rid of the side-effects from drinking _way_ too much.

On her way to the bathroom something in her peripheral vision caught her eye, which made her stop walking immediately and turn to the direction of the couch, her brows furrowing when she realized that someone was fast asleep on her couch. She couldn't remember bringing someone home with her, but as she took a better look she saw that it was no stranger though. She couldn't miss the dark complex and the feet protruding from the side of the couch. There was a time when she was sure that this was Derek, but with the recent changes she highly doubted that her best friend was asleep on her couch, and so there was only one other person she could think of who this could be. A small memory from last night flashed through her mind, and a small smile curled her lips, the voice of the person sleeping infront of her ringing in her ears, as she could hear the comforting words 'Well...than it looks like I'm staying' bouncing through her head.

Taking one last glance at the sleeping form on her couch she walked to her shower, a happy sigh escaping her lips. Something felt completely right about this, and she couldn't believe that all it took was a rough case, and some comforting for her eyes to open up to it. She knew she had a crush on Tara from the moment she stepped foot in the BAU, something about her immediately caught her eye - something that never left after that, but she hadn't realized how deep her feelings for the tall, dark and beautiful brunette actually ran. She once said that the woman was marvelous and it was true, only now she realized that Tara was so much more than that, that she meant so much more to her.

After her shower and some tylenol with a cup of strong coffee her headache had finally lessened, making it bearable. Looking at the clock in her kitchen she saw that it was nearing one in the afternoon, and with that she turned to her fridge and made some lunch before she would wake Tara up. After having set the table, she cleaned everything up and made her way to the couch, thinking it was about time she finally woke Tara up.

Penelope softly shook Tara's shoulder, she was scared that if she was too rough she might get a slap. She learned her lesson after she once had woken Reid up, he had grumbled some incoherent words before waving his arm out like he was trying to reach and silence an alarm clock. In the end she barely escaped the hard slap she knew would've hit her if she hadn't ducked.

''Let me sleep'' Tara grumbled from underneath the blanket that now almost covered her whole body, except for her feet and half of her head. Penelope giggled, it was actually pretty cute this side of the tough Dr. Tara Lewis.

''Wakey wakey, Dr. tall and gorgeous'' Penelope teased as she got a bit bolder and removed the duvet from Tara, her cheeks immediately flushing a beautiful red when she noticed that all the woman was wearing were a pair of panties and a bra, ''O my God, I'm so sorry'' Garcia quickly threw the duvet back at Tara, who by now was woken up enough to realize the situation she was in, and if it wasn't for her dark skin, her cheeks would've been fiery red by now too.

Both women avoided eye contact with each other, and they both could feel the tension in the room starting to rise together with the temperature. Awkward silence settled between them, as they both tried to search for something to break this awkward tension. Tara had busied herself with covering herself with the duvet, when she finally felt the banging headache come up. With a groan she sat up straight, which only intensified the banging, ''Damn, how much alcohol did we have last night''.

Penelope internally sighed a sigh of relieve, glad that Tara found a way to break the tension and make them forget about the situation for now. Not because she felt uncomfortable, hell she will never forget the image of how the woman looked on her couch in barely anything, that was something that will be ingrained in her mind forever. No, she was glad that the brunette had broken the silence, because otherwise she couldn't be held responsible for what she would do to her. And actually thinking about it, Penelope realized that there have been many moments in the past months where she was extremely turned on by the woman, but she shook that from her mind. She couldn't think sexy thoughts, with the object of her affection sitting not even two feet away from her. At least not when she couldn't do anything about it.

So she took the opportunity to answer Tara's question about how much they'd drank last night, counting the bottles standing empty upon the coffeetable, ''It looks like we drank at least three whole bottles of wine and some tequila'' Penelope pointed to the half full bottle with the brownish liquid in it, she couldn't even remember having bought that recently.

''No wonder I got a headache than'' Tara mumbled, rubbing her hands over her face and through her hair, trying to get rid of the headache and the sleep that was still fogging her mind.

''Yeah, I know what you mean'' Penelope snorted, her own headache still very much present, ''I got some tylenol, some strong coffee and breakfast - well more like lunch considering the time - ready if you want it. It'll help lessen the headache'' she pointed to her kitchen area, making Tara look up behind the blonde, noticing the table set for two.

A small smile made its way on her lips, her heart swelling, as she inhaled the sweet smells of all the delicious looking food Penelope had made them, ''You're the best, you know that'' Tara grinned up to her friend, something very much evident in her eyes that Penelope couldn't decipher at the moment, though it was the same look Tara gave her last night.

''I try my best, especially for my friends and family'' Penelope shrugged, a small red tint painting her cheeks for the second time in a short period of time, and she cursed herself for blushing so easily.

''I know'' Tara's lips turned into a soft smile, the same emotion Penelope couldn't figure out still in her eyes, ''That's why you're my favorite, just don't tell the others that'' she joked, although she was completely serious, because it was true, Penelope has become one of her favorite people in the world.

Penelope had to laugh at that, Tara really was something else, ''I'll try to keep my mouth shut''.

''Good'' Tara laughed with her.

''All right lets eat something, my stomach has been asking for food ever since I woke up'' Penelope said, and in that moment her stomach decided to start making noises, making both women chuckle.

''You didn't have to wait for me you know, you could've just gone and eaten something while I slept'' Tara said, as she searched for her shirt and pants. She definitely wasn't planning on walking around in just her panties and bra, especially in someone else's house.

Penelope saw Tara's eyes searching her livingroom and realized that the woman was looking for her clothes, ''Here'' Garcia handed over the black pants- and shirt that hung over the chair opposite her, ''And I know I could've just had breakfast alone, but I didn't want to be rude. And besides, I usually eat alone so it's nice that I can, for one morning, eat together with someone''.

Tara took her clothes from her friend and put them on quickly, Penelope trying hard not to peep, but she couldn't keep her eyes in control for long before they drifted off. Luckily Tara was done quickly and Penelope could look her in the eye again, without feeling embarrassed for sneaking glances.

''I know what you mean'' Tara sighed, feeling the same way. It has been a long time since she's had that too, a companion to share her breakfast with, even when she was engaged to Douglas, ''It can get lonely some times''.

''Yeah'' Penelope replied with a nod of her head, understanding Tara's words perfectly, because she has become quite lonely herself in the last few years. Even though she has her family it wasn't the same as having someone be there for her 24/7, who cares for her and loves her in that specific way she needed, ''But lets not dive into that, we're not old cat ladies yet. We're still young and beautiful, we'll find love eventually'' Penelope tried to lighten the mood.

''I got no doubt for that'' Tara agreed ''And otherwise we can be old cat ladies together'' she teased, although hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

''Sounds like a plan'' Penelope giggled.

Both now being in a lighter mood they made their way to the kitchen to finally start on that lunch Penelope had made them. Sitting down Tara couldn't remember a moment or time where food looked this good to her, making her think back to a conversation she once had with Morgan.

''I thought that Morgan once told me that you couldn't cook, like at all'' Tara looked up from all the delicious food to the beautiful smiling blonde across from her.

Penelope's face fell, sarcasm seeping through from all the corners of her face, letting Tara know that Morgan was going to get an earful the next time Garcia could get a hold on him, ''He seriously told you that'' she said in disbelief. She thought that Derek finally had forgotten about that, it's been like seven years since the accident.

''Yeah'' Tara nodded, as she picked up her cup of coffee, the strong smell very much welcoming as she took a sip.

''God, I once almost burned down his kitchen and he won't ever let me live it down'' Garcia groaned.

''No way'' Tara's eyes widened, ''What happened?'' she asked, now wanting to know the details, because the only thing Morgan had told her was that he would never ever let Penelope into his kitchen ever again, but never gave her the reason why.

''What happened was that we were making some vegetarian casserole, and well it kind of was burned a whole lot'' Penelope elaborated the story to her friend, ''But that's not all of it. As it turned out I accidentally put the oven on the wrong temperature, and because of that his oven kind of caught some flames'' Penelope said looking sheepishly down at her plate after telling the last part.

''I can understand Morgan than'' Tara shook her head, a chuckle leaving her lips as she could picture the whole situation between the pair in her head.

''Yeah, but soon after that I proved to him that I _can_ cook, and that it was just an accident that one time'' Penelope said, picking up the bottle of syrup and pouring some on her pancakes, ''By the way, he can't complain, because I remember his mother telling me that he once burned down the kitchen _literally_ ''.

Tara's eyes widened a bit at that bit of information, stopping her knife mid-way from cutting her food as she looked up at Penelope, ''Seriously? And he's worried about your cooking skills''.

''Finally someone who understands what I mean, because I don't get that either'' Garcia said, ''I even heard from Sarah, his sister, that they still get Christmas cards every year from the Chicago fire department because of that''.

''He must've done some big damage than, if he accomplished that'' Tara laughed, before putting a piece of food in her mouth. Penelope was right: food, coffee and some Tylenol was a great cure for a hangover. Although the presence of her friend did her a world of good too, making her forget about her worries, and letting her fully relax.

Tara already had realized last night that she wasn't the only one giving comfort. She realized that by just talking to Penelope she felt a lot better, that the stress from the case just slid from her shoulders and she could smile, laugh and just relax. It's been so long since she could remember feeling completely stress free and safe, but being here with Penelope sitting across from her it was all she was feeling.

''Where have you gone'' a voice laced with concern interjected her thoughts, she hadn't even realized she had gone off to that far away place in her mind.

''Nowhere'' Tara looked up, settling her inner turmoil, not letting on that her mind was on the gorgeous blonde, which it seems to be a lot lately. So instead of going in on what was exactly playing in her mind and feelings she changed the subject and said, ''I actually should thank you too for, you know, comforting me'' Tara referred to the night before, when Penelope thanked her for being there for her through the whole case.

''No thanks needed'' Penelope waved the comment away, ''Like you said last night, it's what friends do, right'' making Tara's heart sink, of course it's because they're friends, what else should there be. And maybe she was somewhat to blame for that too, it isn't like she was completely clear and honest when Penelope thanked her for being there for her through the case. She could've expressed it differently and show the blonde that what she meant wasn't at all in a friendship way, that she meant it in a way that goes way beyond friendship. It's too late now for that though, because it seems like her friend doesn't remember much from what happened last night, and she wasn't going to push the blonde to remember either, because that might ruin their friendship.

''I know, but still...'' Tara gave a quick lopsided smile, sadness entwining with the happy look in her eyes, ''Thank you''.

''You're welcome, love bug'' Penelope said softly, connecting their eyes together. And in an act of affection Tara laid her hand, just like last night, over Penelope's that was on the table, giving it a soft squeeze. Small tingles igniting in the tips of her fingers, which was something she hadn't felt before, with no one. But she couldn't enjoy the feeling for long, because she soon after felt Penelope's hand tense up underneath her own.

''Uhh...what are you doing?'' Penelope asked, looking from their joined hands to Tara's face. Yesterday she didn't question it, but this was the second time in not even a day that Tara did this, and she wondered what was up with that.

''W-what...'' Tara was startled by the question, immediately pulling her hand back like it was burned with fire.

Penelope frowned, Tara's reaction definitely confusing her, ''I asked what you were doing''.

Instead of answering, Tara took this moment to question Penelope, see what she remembered, ''How much do you actually remember? I mean, from last night'' she questioned cautiously, looking down at her plate, not daring to look up into those cherry brown orbs, afraid to see something that would break her heart in it. Penelope's reaction to her hand joining her's already made a stab to her heart, she didn't want the woman to twist the knife too, that would be too much to handle.

''A few things, the last thing being that you said that you we're going to stay over'' Penelope told her, her confused frown deepening, ''You?'' she asked, intently looking at Tara's face, trying to make sense of all of this, because honestly she didn't know where Tara was going with this.

Tara sighed sadly, like she thought, Penelope didn't remember anything, so there was no point for her to admit that she does, ''I remember about the same as you, everything after that's a blank'' she said, looking up at Penelope with a fake smile on her face, as she still felt her fingertips lightly tingle from touching Penelope's hand, and it felt really nice, something she definitely needed, but if Penelope didn't remember there was no point in dwelling in it, ''So...the alcohol apparently killed off a lot of brain-cells than, húh'' she tried to joke.

''Yeah, it seems like it'' Penelope nodded, glad that whatever was going on with Tara had passed, she didn't like seeing the woman looking conflicted like that, ''At least we're in this together, both in blissful ignorance'' she laughed, ''And the hangover than'' she added.

''Yeah...something like that'' Tara muttered, as she tried to ignore the breaking of her heart.

''Come on, lets eat further'' Penelope urged the woman to eat the rest of her food, ''Otherwise it gets cold, and I didn't make it for nothing'' the pout on her face making Tara's mood soften, smacking herself mentally upside her head for having such a soft spot for the woman. She took a few small moments to gaze into Penelope's eyes, not sure when the next opportunity to do that would come, before going back to digging into her food. An inaudible sigh escaping her lips, as she thought about her options, because it was clear that she was in the friendzone, a place she definitely wanted to get out, but _how_.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: Thank you so much to the people who've taken an interest in this story, I appreciate you guys taking time out of your life to read my humble writings, and I hope you all like the story and the progression of it! Also this chapter has been rewritten, I only righted some mistakes, the rest of it is all still the same!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not the characters, not the show, nothing except for the storyline.**

* * *

The day after the case went by quickly, after lunch Tara made her exit, her excuse being that she still had things to do at home, which of course was a lie, but Penelope didn't question it. And come the next day no further words were exchanged about that night and day between the pair. Penelope didn't say anything because she honestly didn't remember much, and Tara because she didn't like the fact that she was the only one remembering. So instead of talking about it and maybe ruining their friendship - a friendship she came to value very much and didn't want to lose - she much rather forget about it, and act like nothing ever happened. And with a case bringing the team first to New York, soon after to Indiana, and quickly after that to California, there was no time from either side to mention it anyway. So Tara kept on going just like Penelope, acting like nothing had happened, although those moments were engraved in her mind, as she felt even deeper for the blonde curvaceous woman.

In the meantime Emily Prentiss had made her come back to the BAU, only days after Derek had left them, and they were ecstatic about it, they all had missed her very much. They, of course, missed Derek a lot, but somehow Emily coming back mended a piece of that - especially for Penelope. Emily fitted in right away again, like she had never left, and she even befriended Tara from the start. Tara on the otherhand didn't know where she would fit the moment Emily returned, and she was pleasantly surprised that instead of the dynamic in the group turning south, it actually went the opposite way, something everyone noticed and was really happy about. Because having a strong- and trusting bond between all the teammembers was something that's very important in this line of work.

It was now a couple of days after their case in California and the team was back at work again, everyone having gathered around in the break room. All of them very much in need of their daily dose of caffeine before starting the day. Rossi and Reid were talking about some books, Hotch was off in his own head - probably already preparing himself for the day ahead - and JJ and Emily couldn't help but have their eyes on their two fellow female co-workers. Something clearly had changed over the last month or so, but it seemed like both women were completely oblivious to it, something the team wasn't, because they _had_ noticed the change. Everyone already had noticed the way Tara was avoiding almost every attempt of conversation- and contact Penelope was throwing her, and her eyes clearly showed that she was hurt by something. JJ guessing that, that something had to do with Penelope. And Penelope, well...she only looked clueless on at Tara's behavior towards her, not having picked up on it yet, or so they thought. So something was definitely off, and both JJ and Emily wanted to know what the hell was going on that had made them act like this towards each other, because it was doing nothing good for them or the team in general.

But both Emily and JJ were hesitant to question the pair, afraid they were crossing a line by asking, but after exchanging a look with each other JJ eventually took the plunge and asked, ''What happened between you two?'' looking from Penelope to Tara and back.

''What...?'' Tara swiftly turned her head around looking up at her fellow teammember. The quick movement making the coffee in her cup slosh around.

''Uhh...what do you mean Jayje?'' Penelope said from her place against the kitchen counter, frowning, not sure what her good friend meant.

''I don't know, but something seems different'' JJ studied the pair, looking from one to the other, her gaze getting sharper with each look as she tried to figure them out.

''Nothing's different'' Tara said a little too quickly, making everyone in the break room look at her in an instant. Sometimes she hated that she worked with a bunch of profilers, they always knew everything, and if they didn't, they figured it out in no time.

''Yeah, what Tara said'' Penelope agreed with her colleague, though she did know something had changed between them, she just couldn't figure out what that something was, and Tara wasn't giving her anything either, ''Nothing has really changed JJ. At least not that I know of'' she said, turning her gaze from JJ to Tara, checking in with the brunette, gauging her reaction, hoping she was going to finally give her something.

''Yeah...nothing's changed'' Tara said unconvincingly, immediately shutting her mouth when she realized that she sounded like she was lying, which she was.

''Tara'' JJ said softly, she didn't want to attack the woman, but something was up with her and it made her concerned, ''What's wrong?''.

''I want to know that, too'' Penelope cocked an eyebrow, urging with her eyes for Tara to explain herself, ''Because apparently I'm the only one you've been different to ever since...'' Penelope trailed off, her eyes widen when realization hit her, that she hadn't thought about this before, ''Things have changed since the night we closed Morgan's case and you stayed over'' she said, finally dawning on her when all of this began.

This sparked something inside of Tara, making her stand up, this wasn't something she was prepared or ready to talk about publicly, ''Guys, you're my friends and I love you, but you're way out of line right now'' Tara told her team, her face clearly showing that she wasn't at all amused by the attention that was directed on her.

''I- I'm sorry'' JJ stuttered, backing off, ''I didn't mean to attack you, I just stated the obvious''.

''Well, don't'' Tara gathered her stuff, hoping to make a quick exit, as all the eyes of her colleague's were on her. Penelope's feeling like they were penetrating through her head.

Garcia followed Tara with her eyes out of the breakroom, and the moment she was out of sight she slumped back against the counter. Of course she had figured out something had changed between them, and only them, but now that it had dawned on her when it all started she now, more than ever, wanted to know what was going on. She finally, after more than a month, wanted to know what happened that made Tara act like this towards her, because she _honestly_ doesn't remember anything. The alcohol they consumed that night literally left a big black hole in her memory. And Penelope had tried wracking her brain for the answer, for the reason for Tara to change like this towards her, but she came up empty, and it actually started to annoy her. In her opinion Tara was acting completely out of line, the woman at least could've had the decency to come to her and explain why the sudden change, why she barely wanted to hang out anymore, why she started avoiding her. If she would've just come to her, they could've talked about whatever's wrong, and clear the air. She could've at least done that, the blonde thought.

Also the way Tara acted towards their friends was something that didn't sit well with her either, she could've handled the situation much more delicately. She didn't need to snap or make them feel like it was wrong for being concerned about her, after all they were only trying to be there for her and care for her.

''Garcie'' JJ's soft voice interrupted her train of thoughts, making her look up into the ocean colored orbs of her friend, ''What happened?''.

''Yeah, you said something about that night we caught Chazz Montolo, that's like over a month ago, maybe even two'' Rossi said.

''Honestly'' Penelope looked around the room, noticing all the different kinds of facial expressions on her friend's faces, ''I can't remember much, that whole night is almost completely erased from my memory''.

''Alcohol'' Emily raised an eyebrow, knowingly.

''You know it, Em'' Penelope let out a dry chuckle, not really finding it amusing, because if she hadn't drank that much she would've known what had happened between her and Tara, ''But yeah, all I remember is Tara giving me a ride home and me asking her if she wanted to come up for a drink. We shared a few glasses of wine and she was concerned about having to drive home, so I told her she could crash on my couch, but everything after that is vanished. I literally don't remember anything after that''.

''Than you have to figure out what happened in those hours, because it looks like Tara remembers something you don't'' JJ told her.

''I've tried'' Garcia said, looking down into her cup, ''I've asked her several times, but she won't tell me anything'' she sighed, ''She says nothing happened that was important''.

For the past month, month and a half, Penelope had tried to corner Tara about a dozen of times. She tried cornering her through phonecalls, face-to-face, and even text messages when she was really desperate, but Tara didn't budge at any of her attempts. So something terrible must've happened, or Tara told her something she didn't have a right to know but ended up blurting out to her. She couldn't think of anything else. The only thing though, that confused her, was that she really doesn't remember _anything_ , so she couldn't understand what Tara was so concerned about that it changed the way she was to her. Penelope actually thought things were looking up for them, it looked like they were becoming closer friends, but apparently she was wrong.

''She has to break at some point and tell right?'' Emily said, having her suspicions as to what this was all about, but keeping it to herself. Sometimes people had to figure things out for themselves, on their own.

''And if she doesn't, I will have a talk with her'' Hotch spoke up, having heard enough, ''I don't want this to eventually interfere with work'' he said, before gathering his stuff and standing up, ''All right people, break time is over, lets get working'' he ordered everyone to get to their workplaces.

Everyone did as they were told and gathered their own stuff and filed out of the break room, ''Garcia'' Hotch called out to the blonde just before she could walk away.

''Yes, Sir'' Penelope turned around, facing him.

''I am serious about this, you better figure this out'' he told her, ''I don't know if this is professional or personal, this thing that is going on between you and agent Lewis, but I won't have any members of my team make this place a hostile working environment. So you better figure this out before I do, okay'' he said pointedly.

''Yes, of course, Sir'' Penelope nodded, too afraid to say more with how serious her boss looked.

''Good'' Hotch replied with a nod of his head before walking away, leaving the blonde alone in the breakroom to ponder over everything that's just been said. Her mind already thinking of ways to approach Tara, because she definitely didn't want Hotch to get involved with whatever's going on between the brunette and her. Especially when she, herself, didn't have a clue as to what is going on.

* * *

The day went by slow, and without having caught a case it was all paperwork for the team. Tara eventually had gathered enough courage to come back into the bullpen, and sighed a sigh of relieve when she saw that everyone had gone and went their own way, which meant no case.

Reid was at his desk busy typing away on his computer when out of the corner of his eye he saw his colleague. He wasn't that hurt by the small outburst from the agent, he's seen people closer to him act even worse, so he didn't hold a grudge against her. After all everyone has their reasons for acting the way they do, even if those reasons aren't clear or understandable to you.

''Hi'' Reid looked up to Tara. It had been exactly one hour, four minutes, and thirty-six seconds since she fled the break room, and Reid wondered what the woman had been up to. In the almost year since Tara joined their team he got to know her quite well, she most definitely became one of his confidante like everyone else on the team, but unlike all the others Tara was a closed book to him - making it hard for him to figure out what's going on with her.

''Hey'' Tara's voice sounded quiet, which alarmed the genius, he's never heard her like this before. Tara sat down behind her desk and turned on her computer, paperwork wasn't her favorite past time, but it had to be done.

''Where'd you go?'' Reid asked, stopping his typing all together now so he could put all his attention on his friend.

''Outside'' was Tara's short reply, but Reid being the oblivious one didn't notice that Tara wasn't in the mood for small talk.

''For an hour'' Reid's voice squeaking a bit.

''You've been timing me'' Tara's sour expression turned into an amused frown.

Flushing red Spencer nod his head, ''It's hard not too, it just happens subconsciously'' he shrugged.

''Don't worry'' Tara said softly, ''I don't think you're weird, it's actually cute''.

''Oh...good, good'' Reid vigorously nodded his head, ''Wait...cute?'' he raised both his eyebrows.

''Well Spencer, there are women out there who are attracted to that beautiful brain of yours'' Tara humored him. Although it was true and she was one of those people who, of course, had their preferences when it came to beauty, but knew that superficial relationships usually never lasted. She loved someone with content, someone she can talk to and be herself with - nothing more, nothing less.

''I know'' Spencer smiled, though she saw an inkling of doubt cross his eyes, as he leaned back against his chair. The boy really did not know the effect he can have on someone, did he? Which made Tara internally smile at her friend's innocence.

''Good'' Tara shook her head, ''Thank you for making me feel better, by the way'' she said looking up at him with a smile now.

''I made you feel better _, how?_ '' Reid furrowed his brows, not understanding, he didn't do anything he knew could make anyone's mood go up.

''You're sometimes so clueless for a genius'' Tara chuckled, picking up a case file that lay on top of the stack on her desk.

''Wait, what...what are you talking about?'' Reid sat up straight, cluelessness even more evident on his face now.

Tara couldn't help but laugh, he was so darn cute and obvlious at the same time - like a lost puppy, ''Just get back to work'' she pointed with her pen to the file lying open on his desk.

''You sound like Hotch now'' Spencer grumbled, but did as the woman said. The sooner he was done with his paperwork the sooner he could go home, which is a win-win situation.

''She's right, though'' a stern voice came up from behind them, which made the pair first share a look with each other before turning around and face their stoic boss.

''Hotch'' Reid's voice raised in pitch.

''Calm down, I'm not here to lecture you two, although you do need to get back to work'' Hotch told them pointedly, before turning his full attention on Reid, ''Can I talk to you for a minute?'' he questioned the profiler.

''Uhmm...yeah, sure'' Reid nodded, as he stood up from behind his desk. He exchanged a look with Tara, both of them curious as to what Hotch wanted from him, especially when they noticed that Rossi was also making his way over to Hotch's office, before he followed his boss to his office.

* * *

''If you keep that up you're going to pace a hole in the floor'' Emily looked amused at the frantically pacing blonde.

''What?'' Penelope came to a halt, looking lost up at Prentiss.

''Hey, you all right?'' Emily stepped closer to her friend, worried.

''Yeah, yeah'' Penelope shook her head, rubbing her forehead as she looked through the glass windows of the BAU doors.

''You don't seem like it'' Emily said, following her friend's gaze, realization hitting her immediately, her mouth turning into a smug smirk, ''Why _are_ you actually here, your lair is all the way over there'' Prentiss pointed to the corridor on her right.

''Uhh...'' Penelope had no answer to that, everything she would say would give away too much, and she was definitely not ready for that.

''God, you guys have it bad'' Emily muttered under her breath.

''What was that?'' Penelope frowned, not having heard what Emily had said.

''That was me telling you to go talk to Tara'' Emily replied, ''I know you want to, so go talk to her and figure this all out'' she said, nudging the blonde into the direction of the doors that separated them from the busy bullpen. Penelope wanted to protest, but Emily wouldn't have it, ''Don't make me cut your weekends with Sergio'' Prentiss warned her.

''You wouldn't'' Garcia's mouth fell open, searching her friend's face for any sign of hopefully that being a joke.

''Try me'' Emily raised an eyebrow, challengingly.

''There's a cruel, cruel streak in you'' Penelope narrowed her eyes at her friend.

''You're not the first one to tell me that'' Prentiss replied with a roll of her eyes, ''So now, without any excuses, talk to her''.

''All right, all right'' Penelope gave in, ''Only because of Sergio''.

''Crazy woman'' Emily shook her head, chuckling.

''You know I am'' Penelope winked, before straightening herself and making her way into the bullpen. Having found that little bit of extra courage she was looking for.

Walking into the bullpen the first thing Penelope's eyes picked up was Reid following Hotch up to his office, followed closely by Rossi, which made her wonder if they caught a case, but she immediately shook that thought away, if there was a case she would eventually hear about it. Right now she was here on a mission. Right now there was only one thing she came here for, and one thing only, and the thing she came here for was hunched over at her desk writing stuff down in some files. God, the woman really did look good in everything she did, the blonde thought, which made her take a couple of moments to admire the beautiful woman infront of her.

Eventually the blonde knew she couldn't keep stalling any longer, something really had to be done, so she walked the last couple of feet to Tara's desk. With a deep breath Penelope stopped next to the brunette and leaned with her hip against the desk, silently hoping that the woman would notice her before she had to speak up. But, of course, she was in no such luck.

''Hey, can we talk?'' Penelope said softly, instantly catching Tara's attention. She thought she saw the woman tense up for a moment and flicker her eyes around the bullpen to calculate her exit, but Garcia wouldn't have it. This time they were going to talk, and this time Penelope was going to get the answers she has been looking for, ''No sudden exits anymore, Tara'' the blonde said sternly, completely done with the running and the lying.

''I- I wasn't thinking about that'' Tara tried to keep the undertone of lying out of her voice, but she should've known better when it came to the quirky blonde.

''Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England'' Penelope mocked, seeing through the lies.

''I'd move to England if you were the Queen there'' Tara replied teasingly, now looking up at the blonde. She knew she couldn't run away from the inevitable forever, but she could try.

''No matter how flattering that sounds, it doesn't make me forget about the fact that we need to talk'' Penelope told her, seeing right through her.

''Do we really have to, I still got a workload of case files'' Tara pointed to the stack. And Penelope had to say that it was an impressive one, definitely a stack she was glad she didn't have, but that didn't change anything about the situation they were in. They had to talk, and they were going to do it now - workload or not.

''Are you serious'' Penelope's voice rose an octave, gaining the attention of a few people around them, ''I don't know what I've done to you, what I've done to make you avoid me like you do, but we're going to talk about it. Whether you like it or not'' she said, taking Tara by her arm and dragging her behind her out of the bullpen, many eyes following them and their odd behavior.

''You don't have to be so rough'' Tara groaned, not at all amused by what was happening. Well, neither was Penelope.

''Tough for you'' Penelope scowled, not in the mood to play nice anymore. She ticked in the digits for the code to unlock her lair door, before she pushed Tara through it, slamming it shut behind them.

''What's wrong with you'' was the first thing Tara heard after the slamming of the door.

''I could better ask _you_ that'' Tara spat back, turning around to face her colleague, as she rubbed the place on her upper-arm where the blonde had a death grip on seconds ago. The woman definitely had a strength in her she didn't know about. ''Ever heard of being gentle'' the brunette said.

''Ever heard of not being rude to your friends'' Penelope threw back, if they were going to play it like this, she was going to fire back as good as she can. It was hard enough for her to know that it seemed liked she did something wrong in Tara's eyes, but it was a whole different level if the woman was going to avoid- and dismiss every attempt she made of asking her for the truth.

''Ever heard of not getting into someone else's business'' Tara looked harshly up at Garcia, her eyes showing something completely different though, which confused Penelope.

''Yes, except for if I'm included in that business'' Penelope crossed her arms. She needed to keep her distance, she needed to keep herself guarded, otherwise she was going to let it slide again, like she has done many times in the past weeks, and she couldn't do that again. She wouldn't do that again. They need to get it over with and talk, _right now_ , otherwise too much time will pass and their friendship will eventually become irreparable, or worse, non-existent. Which was something that would hurt Penelope more than she was comfortable to admit to out loud.

''Who says you've got anything to do with whatever is going on with me'' Tara huffed, though knowing she wasn't making any sense, because everything that has been said- and done in the past month or so has already led to that conclusion this morning.

''I assumed'' Penelope said, ''Because, you know, it kinda becomes obvious when I'm the only one you've changed your behavior to'' the blonde stated.

''It's not always good to assume things'' Tara told her, not budging, leaving her guard up.

''Why do you always have to be so freaking difficult!'' Garcia said harshly, her eyes spewing fire, something that certainly did something to Tara, because she has never seen the woman act like this towards her before, so she knew she had crossed a line, ''We both know things have changed ever since that night, and don't you even dare try telling me otherwise because we both know it'' Penelope told her pointedly, ''The only problem is that I can't remember anything, and I've tried to remember, trust me I've tried, but it's a complete blank''.

''So what happened that night to make you turn on me? To make you start avoiding me? Just tell me what I did wrong, that's all I want to know, because if I know what's wrong I can change it, we can talk about it and move on. But that's not possible until you tell me'' Penelope said, her voice a lot softer now, more gentle, as she pleaded with the brunette to be honest with her, ''You're the only one who remembers anything from that night, you're the only one that can tell me what happened. So tell me, please tell me what I did wrong, so I can fix it'' a desperate look overtaking every other emotion in her eyes now.

This outburst made Tara take a step back, it made her look at the woman infront of her from a whole other perspective, a perspective that overwhelmed her because she hadn't thought about the affect her behavior could've had on the beautiful blonde. She hadn't thought about the fact that by avoiding Penelope, and by concealing her feelings, she had hurt the woman. That the way Tara was towards her made her think that _she_ did something wrong, that she was at fault, not realizing how wrong she was, ''Penelope, you didn't do _anything_ wrong'' Tara said, reassuring Penelope that she wasn't the problem.

''Than _why_ are you doing this to me, _why_ are you avoiding me, _hurting_ me'' Penelope questioned.

Tara bit her lip, only now fully coming to terms with how much she had hurt the gorgeous blonde infront of her, which made her heart ache, ''You really don't remember do you?'' the brunette said just above a whisper, as she looked up into Penelope's eyes, hoping to find a flicker of recognition in there that told her she remembered at least something, but she found none.

''No'' Penelope shook her head, ''Like I've been telling you, I don't remember _anything_ ''.

Tara sighed, knowing there was no turning back anymore, she had to come clean and tell. It wasn't like it was a bad thing though, at least not in her eyes, but if Penelope didn't mean it in the same way - and feels it in the same way - than it could ruin a lot of things, especially their friendship.

''We...uhh...'' Tara trailed off, not sure how to say what she needed to say, as she tried to swallow past the nervous lump that had grown in her throat.

''You know you can tell me anything, right'' Penelope said softly, reassuring the brunette that she could trust her with whatever was bothering her.

''I know, I know'' Tara nodded, looking down at her feet, thinking that not looking at Penelope at the same time that she told her would make it easier, ''That night...after all that wine...'' she tried telling again, the words still not coming as easily as she thought they would, which frustrated her _a lot_. So in the end she just took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and finally let out the truth, ''We kissed'' she said, as she opened her eyes again and connected them with the cherry brown ones across from her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: Guys, did you see the season 12 premiere, I loved Tara so much in it, she's such an incredible and strong character, I'm so happy they made Aisha Tyler a regular. Also, I actually quite like the new guy, Luke Alvez, he can never replace Morgan, no one can, but I'm looking forward to see how he will fit in the team - especially with the way Penelope is towards him. I'm actually excited to see how that'll play out! Also thank you so much for the interest in this story again, I appreciate it** _ **a lot**_ **!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not the characters, not the show, nothing except this storyline!**

* * *

 _Tara sighed, knowing there was no turning back anymore, she had to come clean and tell. It wasn't like it was a bad thing though, at least not in her eyes, but if Penelope didn't mean it in the same way - and feels it in the same way - than it could ruin a lot of things, especially their friendship._

 _''We...uhh...'' Tara trailed off, not sure how to say what she needed to say, as she tried to swallow past the nervous lump that had grown in her throat._

 _''You know you can tell me anything, right'' Penelope said softly, reassuring the brunette that she could trust her with whatever was bothering her._

 _''I know, I know'' Tara nodded, looking down at her feet, thinking that not looking at Penelope at the same time that she told her would make it easier, ''That night...after all that wine...'' she tried telling again, the words still not coming as easily as she thought they would, which frustrated her a lot. So in the end she just took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and finally let out the truth, ''We kissed'' she said, as she opened her eyes again and connected them with the cherry brown ones across from her._

''W-we kissed?'' Penelope's eyes widened, not having expected that to come out of Tara's mouth.

''Yeah, we did'' Tara said with a nod, not sure how to take Penelope's reaction to the truth, because for the first time she couldn't read the blonde as well as she usually could.

Penelope let out a humorless laugh and shook her head, ''I thought that was just a dream. I thought it was my overactive imagination'' she said, still stunned and astounded by the turn of events. Ever since that night Penelope had been trying to figure out what had happened, what went wrong, but she never in a million years would've guessed that they had shared a kiss, that something romantic had happened between them. She really thought that, that part of the night was something that came from one of her dreams, that it was all her imagination. Because it definitely felt like it.

''No'' Tara snorted, ''That definitely wasn't a dream'' she shook her head.

Penelope was silent for a moment, thinking and overthinking this new information, and figuring out how to go from here. ''How did it happen?'' Penelope asked cautiously, because Tara wasn't the only one who was unsure of how the other felt about having shared a kiss in their drunken state. And she knew from herself how she can get when alcohol was in her system. The night they caught the people who wanted to kill her certainly was a great indication of that, of her behavior whilst being too drunk.

''Well...we were talking, getting pretty deep and pretty close'' Tara answered, ''And then after a while, out of nowhere, you leaned in and kissed me'' the brunette told her, still knowing exactly what had happened that night.

''Wait...'' Penelope's eyes widened, both of her perfectly manicured eyebrows raising up in surprise, or shock, Tara wasn't really sure which one, ''I initiated?'' she said, surprise clear as day in her voice.

''Yeah, you did'' Tara nodded slowly, still having a hard time reading any of the emotions on Penelope's face. Why was it that the people you cared the most for were sometimes the people who were the hardest to read, especially in moments where it would come in handy.

''After that, did we...?'' Penelope trailed off, not having to finish that sentence because the brunette knew exactly what she meant. Though Penelope could've guessed already that nothing more had happened. After all, the morning after, she woke up in her bed alone, dressed in her pajamas.

''No'' Tara immediately replied, ''We talked, we kissed and after that you said you needed sleep'' Tara told her, ''I just thought you wanted to get away from me, because it seemed like you were completely embarrassed about the situation, even though you were the one making the first move'' she said, a few cracks starting to show in her facade now, something Penelope picked up on too.

''Sweet baby Jesus'' Penelope breathed out, ''I'm never drinking alcohol again, e _ver_ '' she said. The best dream of her life she thought she had dreamed turned out to be reality, and she couldn't even remember it actually happening, at least not consciously. She definitely was going to scratch alcohol from her grocery list, especially if it was making her miss out on, and forget about, the best things in her life.

''Hey'' Tara huffed angrily, ''I get if that kiss was an impulse because of the moment and the alcohol consumption, and that you didn't want it to happen in the first place, and that you might be grossed out by it or something, but can you please be a little more sensitive'' the brunette said harshly, feeling hurt by the blonde's reaction, thinking it was a reaction of being ashamed about everything that had happened that night.

''No, no, no, don't you ever think that again, e _ver_ '' Penelope immediately stopped Tara's spouting of nonsense, because that was definitely _not_ what she meant, ''If I was going to regret kissing you, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. Drunk or not''.

''Than _why_ do you seem so ashamed?'' Tara's brows knitted together, not understanding any of this.

''Because I'm ashamed for not remembering, for hurting you, even when it was subconsciously'' Garcia told her, finding it hard to find the right words to express how she felt exactly, ''I never meant to do that to you, believe me. I just really didn't know that it was all real, I really thought I had dreamed it'' she said, ''So I'm definitely not ashamed of it. Although I _am_ embarrassed that I needed alcohol to show you my true intentions, for finally having the courage to initiate something like that'' the blonde added, knowing there was no hiding her true feelings anymore. And quite frankly she was pretty done with it anyway, with hiding how she really felt, only because she was afraid of losing her friendship with Tara.

''What do you mean?'' Tara asked, not wanting to take it the wrong way again and have her hopes crushed again. So asking her what she meant was the best way of avoiding that.

''Are you really not understanding what I'm saying'' Penelope said softly, a gentle smile on her face, she thought she was pretty clear with her choosing of words.

''Actually'' Tara's eyes softened, now being a hundred percent sure that she couldn't take it the wrong way again. It was crystal clear what the blonde meant. ''I know exactly what you mean'' the brunette said, taking a step closer towards the other woman, a new found courage washing over her when she saw the same emotions- and feelings reflected on Penelope's face, ''I just want to hear you say it'' she said softly, encouraging Penelope to face the obvious and admit to it.

''I don't know what you want me to say'' Penelope replied, the tiny bit of fear inside of her taking over, and holding her back. She thought she was done hiding, that she was done lying about her feelings, but for some reason her anxiety was taking over at the last moment, and she hated it.

Tara could see that Penelope was having a hard time getting over her anxiety and fear, that something was holding her back from saying it, and she completely understood her friend. She completely understood the fear of rejection, no matter how small, but she thought that it had become quite obvious that they both felt the same way, and that there was no point in hiding it all anymore. For ignoring it even longer.

''Come on'' Tara took Penelope's hand and walked the blonde over to her chair, sitting her down, while she sat down on the desk next to her, her hand tightly in hers. And this time, this time she felt no tension or hesitation, which let her know that this was right, ''So...let me start from the beginning'' Tara took a deep breath, as she gathered her thoughts, and thought about the best way to tell the woman how she felt about her. ''Ever since the first time we met I've felt a pull towards you, a pull that goes beyond anything I've ever experienced before with anyone'' Tara said, laying herself completely bare for Penelope to see, ''And you've been _so_ sweet and _so_ kind to me, taking me in right away from the start, making me one of you with no hesitation whatsoever. And it made me feel special. It made me really _feel_ for the first time in a long time'' the brunette's smile softened, feeling her cheeks heat up from confessing all of this that's been inside of her for so long, ''It did something to me. _You_ did something to me. And that was the moment I realized I was falling for you''.

''But you were still with Doug back then'' Penelope said, having a hard time believing that the woman has felt this way about her from the start.

''I was'' Tara nodded.

''Was I the one who broke you two up?'' Penelope questioned, guilt overtaking her face, as she looked away.

''What? No'' Tara immediately replied with a shake of her head. It was nowhere near Penelope's fault that Douglas and her broke off their engagement and relationship. ''Hey, look at me'' Tara took a hold on Penelope's chin with her free hand, turning her face so she was directly looking into her eyes, ''Don't you ever feel guilty for anything'' she told her, ''Things between me and him were already rocky _way_ before I started developing feelings for you, okay'' the brunette said pointedly.

''Okay'' Penelope replied softly, a curve of a smile now replacing the guilty look on her face, which made a happy smile form on Tara's lips. This was a much better sight, Tara thought.

A moment of silence fell between them as both couldn't turn their gazes away from each other. As both of them let themselves bathe in the idea that they felt the same way about each other, and that this could be the beginning of something amazing, of something life changing.

''So...what now?'' Penelope was the first one to speak up.

''Well...'' Tara drawled out, ''I just told you how I feel, and I think it's pretty obvious that it's nothing friendship-like''.

''You could say that'' Penelope giggled, her stomach being a mess of butterflies and happy feelings. She really couldn't get over the fact that this perfect woman, sitting infront of her, has feelings for her.

''And I'm guessing that you feel the same way'' Tara said, ''Otherwise I'm gonna feel pretty crazy for seeing something in nothing'' she chuckled.

''No, no, you're definitely not crazy'' Garcia shook her head, ''I feel it too'' she said, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

''Good, good'' Tara smiled, glad for the reassurance that she wasn't seeing things, ''So...how about a date?'' she asked, ''See where this goes'' she said, biting her lip.

''That sounds perfect'' Garcia's lips turned up into a wide grin, feeling much lighter than ever before.

''Good'' Tara grinned back.

''Great'' Penelope said, still grinning.

''I think I should head back now though'' Tara said, her smile faltering, feeling a bit sad for having to leave the blonde, even though she would see her soon enough again at lunch or something. ''The team is probably wondering whe-'' but before she could finish that sentence a knock on the door interrupted them, breaking their moment.

With a sigh Tara let go of Penelope, and moved a little further away from her, not yet ready for anyone else to find out about the new developments in their relationship.

''Garcia?'' Emily called out to the tech, as she opened the door without waiting for an answer back, instantly coming to a halt when she saw the scene infront of her, ''Did I interrupt something?'' Emily raised an eyebrow.

''No, Tara was actually just leaving'' Penelope said, turning her gaze from Emily to the brunette.

''Yeah, that's right'' Tara nodded, as she scooted off the desk and dusted of her pants, prolonging her stay a little bit longer before she had to leave for real, ''I'll talk to you later, okay'' she said softly, so only the blonde could hear her.

''Okay'' Penelope replied with a smile, a look of understanding passing between them without having to use any words, before the brunette walked away out of the lair, passing a knowingly looking Emily Prentiss.

''So you guys have finally talked, húh'' Emily said as she walked further into the office.

''Yeah, we did'' Penelope said, turning her chair around to face her screens. She knew Prentiss was on to something, she was too freaking good at what she did to not have noticed, but that didn't mean Penelope had to let on that she knew that.

''How'd it go?'' Prentiss asked, as she leaned against the desk, Tara had just vacated, and crossed her arms. A case file dangling from her left hand.

''It went well'' Penelope told her her, not elaborating further, as she started typing away on her keyboard. After all she still had a workload of her own that needed to be done.

''It seems like you guys have made up'' Emily said, ignoring the fact that her good friend was giving her sort of the cold shoulder.

''We did'' Penelope nodded, working around the woman leaning against her desk.

''That's good'' Emily said, proud of herself for pushing the blonde to talk to Tara, ''You finally got your answers about that night than?''.

''Em'' Penelope sighed, as she stopped doing what she was doing and turned around to face the raven haired beauty, ''I love you, and I like having you here, but unless you have something for me that I need to work on, I don't really have time for small talk''.

''Uhh...okay...'' Prentiss said slowly, not missing the guarded look Penelope showed towards her, which she has never seen before. Penelope pretty much was an open book to her ever since the first day that they met.

''I'm sorry'' Penelope breathed out, realizing the harshness behind her words, ''It's just...I got a lot of work left to do, and if I want to get home tonight at a decent time I need to gear up and do my magic uninterrupted''.

''I understand'' Emily's face softened, knowing Penelope never snapped at people intentionally, unless you really deserved it.

''So what've you got for me?'' Penelope extended her hand out to the file in Prentiss' hand.

''Just something I need you to look up for me'' Emily handed over the file.

* * *

The rest of the day went by uneventful, up until they thought they were off the hook and could go home, that's when a case swept them away to Louisiana for eight whole days, much to their dismay. And it was a rough case, one involving children, which hit hard for everyone. But luckily they all had their safe haven's to go to, to talk about it, and unwind. And for Tara that safe haven became Penelope. Every night after the team was done, and went back to the hotel from the police station, they talked, both needing the comfort from one another - even when they were hundreds of miles apart.

Just something about hearing each other's voice's, and letting their frustration, sadness and anger out made them even closer, made them connect on a much deeper level. A level they hadn't shared up until now. They started to understand the other more, they figured out how both handled their emotions, and it made them feel even deeper for each other.

And eventually, after all the tough talk was over, and both had vented, they changed the conversation to small talk. Getting to know each other beyond a working relationship. Both realizing that even though they had just spent a year together on the same team, that they didn't exactly _know_ each other. Which eventually led them to starting to talk about, and trying to figure out, their first date. Something that was harder than they thought because of their busy schedule's, but it didn't stop them. They will find a way and make it work. After all, the things that are the hardest to accomplish are the most rewarding in life.

The team was now on the jet, well on their way home. Most of them were asleep, exhausted from the long days behind them, and some were still awake - were of in their own head. This case took a lot, and solitude and silence was something all of them needed for a bit, because they were all still too attached to let it go already.

Prentiss was one of the few, besides Hotch, who was still awake. She had tried for the past hour to fall asleep but nothing worked, so eventually she gave up and silently took out a book to read. Tara, who was sitting across from her, wasn't asleep either, she was busy texting on her phone, a soft smile gracing her lips, though Prentiss noticed that with each new message the brunette's facial expression would change slightly. From a wide grin, to a soft gentle smile, and even laughter she tried to hold in. And eventually Emily saw the woman bite her lip, and what seemed like blush, something that let her know that Tara wasn't texting with just anyone.

''I knew I was right'' Emily said smug.

''Húh, what?'' Tara looked up from her phone, having caught the short sentence that had left Emily's mouth.

''Nothing important'' Emily shook her head, ''Just go back to texting''.

Tara stared at Prentiss for a bit, raising an eyebrow before saying, ''How did you know I was texting''.

''Just a guess'' Emily shrugged, hearing the same vibration sound she has been hearing for the past hour again, ''Who are you texting anyway? I've heard that thing go off like a million times ever since we boarded the plane'' she questioned. She had an inkling of who it could be, especially after she walked in on Penelope and Tara in Garcia's office last week, but she also could be wrong. Just because she witnessed the tension there, doesn't mean they _really_ did something about it, and got together or something.

''Just a friend'' Tara said nonchalantly, looking down at her phone again, wanting to know what the text read.

 _'Tara, honey, I'm a simple girl, I don't need all that fancy stuff'_ the brunette read, making her chuckle. Though she knew that, that was true. Penelope has told her many times in the past eight days that just a home-cooked meal by candle light was enough for her, as long as they were together and enjoying themselves.

 _'You're far from simple woman, but lucky for you I like you like that ;)'_ Tara replied teasingly, a tender smile painting her lips.

''There's that smile again'' Emily said, which made Tara look up at the woman again, ''That's not _just_ a friend is it?'' she eyed the taller woman.

''Maybe...maybe not'' Tara shrugged. Penelope and her had agreed on keeping their new found relationship under wraps for now, for the time being, just until they had it all figured out and were sure that this was what they really wanted.

''You're not gonna give me anything, are you'' Emily gave up. She could understand it though, when people wanted things to be private, especially when everyone already knew way too much about each other on this team.

''Not really'' Tara said matter of fact, ''Some thing's are meant to be private'' she told her.

''Good luck with that'' Prentiss chuckled, ''No one's got a private life here, we literally know everything about each other'' she gestured with her hand to everyone on the plane with them.

''I know. I kinda figured that out early on'' Tara said, that not being any news to her, ''But that doesn't mean I can't try'' she added with a smile, as she at the same time felt her phone vibrate again.

''That's true, you can try'' Prentiss said giving the woman that, ''Just when you're ready to discuss the mystery person, or thing, know I'm here. Always''.

''I know, I got no doubt in that'' the brunette chuckled, knowing Prentiss was dying to know about this 'mystery' person, and 'mystery' thing, ''I'll keep it in mind, okay'' she said, before looking down at her phone again, slipping back into the world Penelope and her had created.

Emily thought about saying something back, but eventually decided against that, she didn't want to interrupt again, and instead went back to reading her book.

 _'And I like that you like me like that xx'_ Penelope had texted back. Tara could already imagine the blush that must be painted on the delicate lily white cheeks of the other woman now. And she found it quite amusing that the blonde could flirt everyone under the table, but when it came to serious feelings, and the one's she felt romantically for she became a blushing, blabbering mess. It was cute though, Tara thought, it felt good to know that she had that kind of effect on her.

 _'Good, because it's true, I really do like you like that'._

 _'I know'_ was the short reply she got back to that, but it was enough for her. As long as the blonde knew that she was serious about her feelings for her, all was good.

Soon after that text another one came in, _'How long till you're back?'.'_

Tara checked the time in the corner of her phone before replying, _'About an hour or two, I'm guessing. I think we'll be back around seven'._

 _'Okay! I'll be waiting by the elevators than'._

 _'Looking forward to it'_ Tara replied, a soft smile coming unto her lips, she couldn't wait to see the quirky tech again.

 _'Me too'_ was the last message she received before she put her phone away, leaving their conversation at that, until she was back and could see Penelope again and talk to her face-to-face. Something she's looking very much forward to after eight long days.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: Thanks again for the reads, reviews, faves and follows, I still appreciate them a lot! Also I've noticed and realized that Friday's have become my update day, and I'm sticking to that. Also, the timeline in the series doesn't add up with the timeline in real life. After all in the show there was a six month time jump in season 11. So the timeline in this story is as followed: the Montolo case happened in October,** **then after that they were ignoring each other for about a month, a month and a half, and now it's the end of November.**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not the characters, not the show, nothing except this storyline!**

* * *

The next day Tara woke up from the continuing pinging sound coming from her phone. Groaning, she turned around in bed and reached out to the bedside table, picking up her phone, praying to heaven that it wasn't anything work related. That their few days off weren't cut short. But luckily that was not the case. The pinging sound turned out to be text messages, and not just _one_ but a whole series of texts, all coming from Penelope.

In the past week and a half the pair had started calling and messaging each other more and more, and it always started with a phone call or text message first thing in the morning, just asking each other how they were, if they slept well, and things like that. So that was nothing new. The thing that was new, was the fact that it was more than one message, which was something that made Tara curious as to what Penelope had to say to her that took her multiple messages to send.

 _'Good morning sleeping beauty, I hope you slept well and thoroughly because it's gonna be a long night xx P'_ read the first message. Frowning Tara sat up straight in bed now, did this mean that they had caught another case?

With the same frown still in place she opened the next message, _'I know, I know what you're thinking, and no we didn't catch a new case'_ the next read, which was shortly followed by another one, _'Also I know what you're thinking now. What's going on? But I'm not gonna tell you, I'm not going to blab this time. Just be ready at six and you'll see ;).'_ Tara chuckled lightly at this, because it was true, Penelope had a hard time keeping her mouth shut when it came to surprises or gossip. Which actually, when she thought about it, added to the charm of this already wonderful woman.

Tara was about to text back when she received another message, _'Also...wear nothing too formal, something casual and warm is good enough'_ it read, which gave Tara an inkling as to where this was going. A smile spread across her lips, as her mind pieced together all the messages, and she came to the conclusion that this sounded a lot like Penelope had taken the initiative of arranging their first date.

Still smiling Tara replied to the last text, _'Some suggestions that are date appropriate? ;).'_ Letting Penelope know in a subtle way that she was on to her.

Instantly her phone pinged again with a new message, _'I should've known you'd figure it out so soon, but that's what I get for dating a profiler, don't I'_. At this Tara's heart skipped a beat, because all of this was still fairly new, and they hadn't even gone on a date yet, so Penelope mentioning that she thought of them as already dating actually gave her an amazing feeling. And she had to admit that, for some reason, it was undeniable that it definitely already felt like dating between them. That it felt like they were already at the beginning of a relationship, without ever having labelled themselves a couple.

 _'What are you gonna do about it? You're stuck with me! I'm kidding, only if you'll have me of course'._ Tara replied to the text, enjoying the easy flow of talk and teasing between them.

 _'I'm going to do absolutely nothing about it! I enjoy being stuck with you very much'_ Penelope send back.

 _'That's good to know!'_ Tara answered back, her insides warming up from the feelings Penelope was giving her, _'By the way, I thought I was the one who asked you on a date?'_.

 _'I know my chocolate muffin. It's just that I got an idea and just couldn't wait!'._ A tender smile covered Tara's lips as she read the text. How can you _not_ fall for someone like that, someone who can't wait to take you out and spend time with you, someone who really thinks about you and cares for you.

 _'I can't wait either! And I'll make sure to be ready by six!'._ Was the last text that was shared between the pair, before Tara laid her phone away and fell back on her bed again. She had about eight hours until Penelope was going to pick her up, so a couple more hours of sleep would be for the best, because she got a feeling that tonight was going to be long. Something she doesn't mind at all.

* * *

''Thank you so much for this, Savannah'' Penelope said as she took the basket from her and the set of keys, ''You too, Derek'' she looked up to her best friend, who had Hank in his arms.

''No problem, Baby girl'' Derek smiled, bouncing the baby up and down, trying to get him to sleep, ''Everything for love''.

''Awh...that's sweet'' Penelope smiled back softly, ''You really have become a softy, haven't you'' she teased.

''You should see him when he's playing with Hank, you would never think that, that's the tough Derek Morgan who broke down doors on a daily basis'' Savannah teased her husband, making Penelope giggle. She really missed this kind of banter at work, between her and Morgan. Talking a lot more to Tara did make up for that partially, but it wasn't as it used to be, which it probably never will be unless Derek decided to come back to the BAU again.

'' _Hey_ , you two mocking me. You know I'm still here, right?'' Derek said feeling slightly offended by the mocking, though he knew they were joking, ''It's just that I want you to be happy Penelope, and if I can help with that, well...than I'm a softy, I guess'' he shrugged.

''I was just teasing you, big boy'' Penelope winked, ''And I know you want me happy, that's why you're my best friend, and why I love you'' she said with a gentle smile.

''Good, I love you too'' Derek replied with a loving smile of his own, having meant every word he just said.

''Who's actually the lucky guy?'' Savannah questioned the blonde, ''Because you can't tell me that this is all for yourself, or for some friendly gathering or something'' she said. When a couple of days ago Penelope had asked her if she wanted to help her out with some food dishes, she was happy to lend a hand, but in the end the blonde had never elaborated on why she needed the food, or for who it was.

Derek, who already knew because Penelope literally had no filter when it came to that man, looked over to Garcia with a smirk on his face, getting a glare in return from the blonde. Penelope had told him that Tara and her were keeping things on the down-low; go on date's, see where it goes, and first establish something before they were telling people. So he was wondering as to how his best friend was going to get out of this question. Because knowing his wife, she could be quite persistent when she wanted to be.

Savannah saw the hesitation on Penelope's face, and the glare she was throwing her husband, ''This is someone special, isn't he?'' she said, looking intently at Penelope's face, instantly knowing she was right when the blonde started to bite her lip.

Penelope sighed, knowing she couldn't leave the other woman hanging, ''Well...first of all, the _he_ is actually a _she_ '' she said, a blush starting to paint her cheeks.

She has never been very vocal when it came to her sexuality. Not because she was ashamed, or didn't want anyone to know about it, because it wasn't like it was a big secret she was keeping or something. The whole team knows about it after all. No, it was because no one ever questioned it. It just never came up in conversations. And also, Penelope felt like it was something personal, something she didn't have to mention to _everyone_ she came in contact with. Though she actually thought Savannah would've known, because Morgan usually told his wife everything.

''Wait...'' Savannah's eyebrows shot up, ''You're bisexual?''.

''I guess, but not really'' Penelope replied, never exactly having labelled herself, ''I see myself more as a unicorn riding the colorful rainbow of love'' she told her.

''I really miss those comments of you, Sweetheart'' Derek shook his head, grinning.

''Right back at ya'' Penelope replied to him with a smile, before turning her gaze back to Savannah, ''Do you mind...?'' she questioned. It wasn't like she needed the woman's approval to be who she wanted to be, but it did feel nice when her friends accepted her for the person that she was. Especially if that friend was the wife of one of her best friends.

''No not at all'' Savannah shook her head, smiling up at the blonde, ''I believe that love is love, and that love comes in all forms, so...just do whatever makes you happy'' she told the blonde, ''And _honestly_ I'm not that surprised'' she chuckled.

''That's good to hear'' Penelope grinned, ''But folks I have to go now, I only got a couple of hours left before I need to pick up my date, and there's still some things I need to do'' she said.

''Yes, of course'' Savannah nodded, helping the woman gather all of her stuff.

Penelope checked one last time if she had everything before she walked from the kitchen to the hallway, the married couple following her.

''Thank you again'' Penelope said as she turned around to face them, ''I'll make sure to have the keys, and everything else, back on Monday''.

''Don't worry about it'' Savannah waved the comment away, ''Just make sure to have fun'' she smiled, as she opened the frontdoor for Penelope.

''Yes, have _fun_ '' Derek wiggled his eyebrows.

''Baby, you're making it creepy'' Savannah playfully slapped her husband on his arm.

''Oh...I've heard _far_ worse comments from him, I'm actually kinda used to it by now'' Garcia reassured the woman that it was no big deal. After all, this was their usual banter.

''Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, that's all I'm saying'' Derek said with a shrug.

''So...that actually means I can do everything'' Garcia told him with a raised eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes.

''Ha, ha, ha'' Morgan mocked, which made the two women giggle, ''You're having it in for me today, haven't you?'' he rolled his eyes.

''You're just _too_ easy, Cupcake'' Penelope patted his shoulder, before leaving a kiss on Hank's head, who still laid in his father's arms, ''Bye sweetie'' she said softly to the now sleeping baby.

Penelope gave Derek a kiss on his cheek before moving on to Savannah, giving her a hug and a kiss on her cheek too, ''All right guys, have a wonderful afternoon, and I'll see you next week'' she said, walking out of the frontdoor onto the porch.

''You too'' Morgan waved her goodbye with his free arm.

''Thank you, bye'' Garcia said with one last wave before walking away.

After Penelope drove away Derek closed the door, and before he could even turn around he heard his wife say, ''She didn't tell us who her date was, did she?''.

''I guess not, no'' Derek replied to her, ''All she has told me is that she wanted to keep things on the down-low for now'' he told his wife, as he walked into the livingroom.

''You know who it is, don't you?'' Savannah eyed him.

''I don't know what you're talking about'' Derek said innocently, as he laid his son in his playpen.

''Oh, you're a liar Derek Morgan'' Savannah said with a smirk, knowing her husband knew much more than he let on, ''Who is it? Who is she?'' she asked again.

''I'm not going to say anything, and you can't make me say anything either'' Derek said, ''You know what Penelope can do, and I'm not going to risk that''.

''You seriously think she would do that to _you?_ '' Savannah raised an eyebrow. She knew the hacker was good at what she did, but Penelope didn't strike her as the kind of person that would ruin their own friend's life just because that friend told their wife who she was dating.

''Trust me, I've known her for a long, _long_ time'' Derek said, ''So I know, without a doubt, that she will do that to me'' he told her, being a thousand percent sure. They were talking about Penelope Garcia after all; Queen, Oracle and genius all rolled up in one when it came to hacking and everything computer related.

''O my God'' Savannah burst out laughing, which made Hank stir a bit before going soundly back to sleep, ''You're scared of her'' Savannah said her voice now lower, not wanting to wake her son up.

''I'm not scared of her'' Derek huffed, defending himself, ''I'm far from scared of her, I just know how dangerous she can be'' he said, ''She can erase your whole existence with just one click on her keyboard''.

''All right, all right'' Savannah backed off, ''I'm not going to push you'' she said, ''Though I am going to tell Penelope that you're afraid of her and what she can do'' she added with a teasing twinkle in her eyes, and an amusing smile on her lips.

''You wouldn't'' Derek narrowed his eyes at his wife.

''Watch me'' she winked.

''Lord, what did I do to deserve this?'' Morgan melodramatically sighed, as he plopped down on the couch.

''You're such a Drama Queen sometimes'' Savannah looked amused at her husband's over dramatic behavior.

''You still married me, though'' Morgan told her with a grin.

''Can't deny that'' Savannah replied with a shake of her head.

* * *

Time was nearing six p.m. when Penelope parked her car infront of Tara's apartment building, nerves swimming around in her stomach as she undid her seatbelt and got out. She had been nervous for a date before. Who hasn't? But this was a whole other level. Something definitely felt different. More special. But Garcia couldn't quite wrap her mind around why exactly.

She walked the short distance from her car to the entrance of the building and rang the doorbell that belonged to Tara's apartment. While waiting she smoothed the skirt of her dress, and checked one last time her appearance in the glass from the entrance door. Finally after a minute the door buzzed and Penelope walked through, making her way up to the third floor.

With a few small knocks on Tara's frontdoor, the blonde waited a second time for the brunette to answer the door, though this time was much quicker, like Tara had already been waiting on the otherside.

''Hiya'' Penelope said softly, her voice sounding way smaller than normal.

''Hi'' Tara replied with a shaky smile, nerves definitely clear in her demeanor as she looked at her date, ''You look absolutely beautiful'' Tara said, admiring the navy blue dress with a deep v-neck and a flowing skirt that ended just above the knee, which the blonde had paired with a black coat, and a pair of nude colored heels. Tara also noticed that Penelope had ditched her glasses, but kept her usual boldness in makeup, and had finished it off with a mess of curls cascading down her shoulders, framing her face. Curls that looked extremely soft. The brunette couldn't deny that she has definitely thought about brushing her fingers through them more than once.

''Thank you'' Garcia said, blushing under Tara's gaze.

''If I knew you were dressing like that, I would've gone with a little less casual'' Tara bit her lip, as she looked down at her own outfit now. She wore a red silky long-sleeved blouse, that was tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans, and on her feet were a pair of black strappy stiletto's. She hadn't bothered much with makeup, just a natural look, and her hair wasn't anything different either except for the fact that it was a longer hairstyle now.

''Hey, you look gorgeous'' Penelope immediately replied, ''You're stunning'' she reassured her date that she looked completely fine, although very tall because of the heels. She didn't mind it though, she has been used to being the shorter one in a relationship, ''No pressure, okay, it's just you and me'' Penelope added softly for even more reassurance.

''Yeah, no pressure'' Tara repeated, as her minute of forgetting about her nerves ticked away, and she felt them come back full force again. ''Please tell me you're as nervous as me''.

''Are you kidding me'' Penelope said with a small nervous giggle, ''I've been nervous ever since I left those text messages this morning'' she told her, feeling a weight slide off her shoulders. She was glad that she wasn't the only one feeling like this, that she wasn't the only one with these nerves, and this slight fear of what will happen if this doesn't work out. Or what will happen _if_ it works out.

''Thank God'' Tara breathed out, feeling relieved, ''I really thought I was the only one''.

''No, Gumdrup, you're definitely not alone in this'' Penelope replied, somehow that making her feel a little better, ''So...are you ready to go?'' she asked her date.

''Yeah, more than ready'' Tara's lips curled up into a smile, as she took her coat and purse from the rack next to her frontdoor, before walking out of her apartment.

Walking side by side the pair made their way out of the building and to Penelope's car. Nerves were still noticeable between them, and Penelope wondered why all of the sudden conversation wasn't flowing between them like usual, like before. Though it did help that they acknowledged the nerves, because that way they both knew how the other felt, and that way it was easier to get past it. And in the end, there actually was no need for Penelope to have worried about anything in the first place, because by the time they had settled into the car, conversation was already flowing much easier between them.

* * *

About an hour into the car ride Tara started to wonder where it was they were actually going. Penelope had really made good on her promise on not telling her, which she didn't really mind, because she actually kinda liked surprises, but now she was starting to wonder what place took them more than an hour to get to. But just when she wanted to ask, Penelope drove up a driveway. A driveway which had a huge entrance.

''Wow...'' Tara's eyes widened at the size of the place, ''What is this? Why are we here?'' she asked as Penelope stopped the car and cut off the engine.

''This, my Chocolate Angel, is one of Derek's restoration projects'' Penelope told her, getting out of the car, Tara following her suit, ''I thought it would be the perfect location for our first date'' she said, locking her car.

''A house?'' Tara frowned, ''A house is a perfect location for a date?''.

''Just wait and see'' Penelope said with a smile, as she walked around the car, ''When you see the backyard you'll understand''.

''This isn't going to be like the usual first date's, is it?'' Tara looked down at Garcia.

''Probably not'' Penelope shook her head, linking her fingers with the brunette, and leading her up to the frontdoor, ''No fancy restaurant's or going to the cinema for us''.

''Honestly, I actually don't mind that at all'' Tara smiled, following her date into the house, having the same reaction inside as she had outside, ''Hot damn, how much money does Morgan earn with this. This is not _just_ a house, this is a mansion''.

''It is'' Penelope nodded her head, ''Rossi actually pointed him towards this one, and it pays quite well if you're good at it''.

''As it should'' Tara looked at the mostly finished house. High ceilings, spacious rooms, all kinds of fancy furniture and accessories that all led to two huge french doors that separated the inside from the outside.

''You've been planning this much longer than just this morning, haven't you?'' Tara said, as she looked through the doors immediately onto the beach. There was literally a piece of private beach adjacent to the mansion. This was definitely a house most people dreamed off owning, but couldn't afford. A warm feeling settled in the pit of Tara's stomach when she thought about all the effort Penelope has put into this one night. And it felt amazingly good that someone was willing to do this for her.

''I've sorta started it the moment you asked me out on a date'' Penelope said, a rose blush coming unto her cheeks, as she opened the french doors which led them to a path that led them to their destination.

''I never had a chance of planning this date, did I?'' Tara chuckled, though not minding it one bit. The most important thing was that they were together. And quite frankly, she couldn't have done it better herself.

''I'm sorry Love bug, but no'' Garcia replied apologetically.

''Don't apologize'' Tara said, ''Just as long as I can still make up on my promise of that date, everything's fine'' she told her.

''Of course you can'' Penelope said, her facing breaking out into a grin, loving the fact that even though they were only on their first date, they were already talking about many more, ''Come on, we're almost there'' she tugged on Tara's hand, walking them further into the dusk lighting of the early night, fairy lights lighting the way to their destination.

And it actually took Tara's breath away for a bit, as she looked at the sight infront of her, a sight that felt almost magical to her. The whole setting with the fairy lights, the darkened sky, the sea as view and the blankets and pillows, where food was set upon, was literally a scene from a movie. How cliche it must sound.

''What do you think?'' Penelope looked expectantly up at the taller woman, who was still looking around. The sound of the waves crashing down surrounding them, as the salty smell from the sea filled their nostrils.

''This is absolutely perfect'' Tara's voice came out a lot softer than she intended, though it was definitely a reflection of how she was feeling, right now, on the inside, ''But, it's the end of November, isn't it a bit too cold to have a romantic date on the beach?'' she said.

''I know, I know'' Penelope nodded, ''But that's why I've got pillows, and blankets, and candles'' she told her, ''And that's why I told you to dress casual and warm'' she said, ''And if it really gets _too_ cold, we can always move everything inside''.

''Yeah, okay, that's true'' Tara smiled, not complaining further. After all, Penelope had done one hell of a job of setting this date up, and that alone made her really happy. Cold be damned.

''Come on'' Penelope smiled, as she let go of Tara's hand, before crouching down on the blanket and picking up the bottle of wine out of the bucket with ice.

''You know that's what started all of this, right? Alcohol'' Tara joked, as she unbuttoned her coat, before sitting down on the blanket too.

''I know'' Penelope said, ''But this time I'm not aiming at getting drunk'' she added, as she poured two glasses with the liquid, ''This time I want to remember everything. I want to remember _you_ '' she told her, handing over a glass to the brunette.

For the thousand time, in the short time she has already spend with the beautiful blonde, she smiled. She just couldn't help it, something about her made her all warm and fuzzy on the inside, and it showed on her face, ''I want the same'' she said, connecting her eyes with Penelope's.

''Good'' Garcia replied, raising her glass, ''To us. May this be the first, but certainly not the last date'' she toasted.

''To us and a lifetime of dates'' Tara said softly, before clinking her glass with Penelope's.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: I have to tell you guys, writing this story has come really easy to me, I can literally go on for probably another 20 chapters, if not more. I'm just enjoying this too much. By the way, I loved this weeks episode, AJ really did some outstanding acting! Though I'm sad that this was the last episode with Hotch, I'm really going to miss him, I still hope they give him a nice ending, even though he's not in it anymore, because I hate for them to just forget about him.**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

It had been a few hours of talking, eating, and wine, and both were enjoying the other's company most definitely. Nothing seemed to feel as easy as being in each other's presence. Just something, a connection of some sort, made things flow effortlessly between them, even though they had a rocky start of the night with all their nerves. But _now_ , now both didn't feel any pressure at all anymore, all the nerves were gone, and there were no awkward silence's between them. All of this, it just felt so comfortable and so completely right.

''Do you ever wonder if there's something more out there? Something more than us?'' Tara spoke up into the night air, her fingers lazily stroking Penelope's arm.

After they were done eating, and the nightsky had turned completely dark, they cleared the blanket from everything and put the pillows to one side, before taking another blanket to cover them, before laying down. They wanted to enjoy the complete silence of the night, and the nightsky that was painted full with stars. In the city it was hard to catch them, to actually see them. But here, on the quiet side of Washington D.C., you could even connect the dots with them.

''Sometimes'' Penelope nodded against Tara's shoulder, the small breeze making goosebumps rise upon her skin. Or it was Tara's soft touch, that was highly possible too. One way or another she didn't mind the feeling at all, she enjoyed it, ''I want to believe strongly that at least my parents are up there, watching over me. That they've seen me grow up and become the person I am today, even though they weren't here to witness it in person''.

''That's a nice thought to hold onto'' Tara's lips curled up, as she looked down at her date who was laying in her arms, believing the same thing. She couldn't think that after death there was nothing, that it's just one black hole you end up in. She has to believe that there is something.

''I guess'' Garcia replied with a shrug, still staring up into the darkness, ''It's beautiful, isn't it?'' she said, a gentle look on her face, as she intently watched the stars. Looking from one to the other, never lingering on one star too long, because there were just too many.

''It's gorgeous'' Tara said, still looking down at Penelope, not up to the starry sky like the blonde.

''I only wished we didn't have to travel so far to see what's right infront of us'' Penelope sighed.

''It does make it special though, when you have to do something for it'' Tara stated.

''It does'' Penelope agreed, as she let her gaze wander from the sky to the woman next to her, their face's inches apart now. If one of them leaned in _just_ a little bit, their lips would touch.

Their breath's mingled together as they stared into each other's eyes, searching for something that told the other that they wanted this both wholly. And when they found it, nothing held them back from connecting their lips into a soft, yet, intense kiss that ignited a passion between them they hadn't felt before.

They slowly moved their lips together, trying to find a rhythm that belonged to them, and when they found it the kiss turned heated. Tara moved her hand up from Penelope's waist, leaving a trail of tingles behind, as she was finally able to feel the feeling of Penelope's soft curls under her fingers, as she took a hold on the side of her head.

Penelope's hands did the complete opposite, they slowly moved around Tara's torso, one taking a hold on the brunette's side, and the other taking a hold on the back of her blouse, scrunching up the material, as the kiss deepened even more.

Eventually, after having relished in the amazing feeling of kissing each other and touching each other, they pulled away - air becoming a necessity. Penelope, though feeling out of breath, but not yet done, left a few lazy pecks on Tara's lips, before pulling away completely and loosening her grip on her.

''Fucking hell'' Penelope breathed out, trying to catch her breath, while feeling her lips still tingle from the kiss. This was definitely something no one has ever come close to accomplishing. At least not with _just_ a kiss.

Tara, who was still dazed by it too, chuckled, ''You never curse, but for some reason you swear every time we kiss''.

''I do?'' Penelope's eyebrows shot up, surprised by this revelation. She didn't know that.

''You most definitely do, Peaches'' Tara told her, while twirling a curl around her finger. After having felt what it feels like to touch them, she never wanted to let go.

''Well, than you must be doing something absolutely right'' Penelope said, as she licked her lips, still able to taste the brunette on them.

''I think you're right about that'' Tara smiled, as she watched the blonde lick her lips, enjoying the view very much, before she looked up into Penelope's eyes, gazing from one to the other and back, ''I still can't believe it took me so long to tell you. I really wish I had done it _way_ sooner'' Tara said.

''You did tell me sooner'' Penelope told her, ''I was only too drunk to remember it, and I'm sorry about that'' she said, a glint of guilt appearing in her cherry brown orbs.

Tara who instantly picked up on the change in emotion said, ''Please, don't feel guilty about any of that, I'm already over it, okay'' she assured the woman, ''And what I actually meant to say is that, after that night, I wished I had just told you when you questioned me about it, instead of ignoring you'' Tara explained what she meant, ''Because, just 'cause you didn't remember that night like I did, that didn't automatically mean that you didn't feel the same way'' she said.

''Exactly, and that's why I regret drinking that much that night'' Penelope said, ''Because if I hadn't been drunk you would've known''.

''Maybe I would've'' Tara nodded, ''Or maybe I wouldn't have'' she added, after all if Penelope wasn't intoxicated that night she might've never made a move on her in the first place, ''But why don't we let that go, not dwell on it'' Tara said, ''We're here now, right?''.

''Yeah, we are'' the blonde nodded, as she felt the guilt slowly fade away from her feelings.

''So, why don't we forget about back then and move on'' Tara suggested, not wanting to begin their relationship on a sad note, but a good one.

''Okay'' Penelope replied, ''But only because you're saying it'' she said, ''Because, honestly, I'm still gutted over the fact that I can't remember our first kiss like you do'' the blonde told her, sadness lacing her voice, ''For me it's literally a hazy dream-like experience in my mind, and I hate it''.

''Baby, you were too drunk, you can't help that'' Tara took a hold on the side of Garcia's face, making her look directly at her again, ''So how about this'' Tara said, ''How about we count this as our first kiss. We forget about what happened back then, and start right here. Because _this_ , this is the kiss we will both remember forever''.

''I really like the sound of that'' Penelope's lips turned up into a soft smile, a spark in her eyes replacing the sadness from before, ''Only promise me one thing'' Penelope said.

''And what's that?'' Tara asked.

''Promise me that we won't ever do anything again that makes us forget about moments like these'' Penelope said.

''I promise we will nev-'' but Tara was cut off before she could even finish that sentence by Penelope's lips crashing on hers. Penelope having heard all she needed to hear, as they again got lost in each other and the passion of their kiss.

* * *

Three weeks, and some long lasting cases later, Tara was finally able to make up on that date she had promised Penelope. They had done some smaller things in between, but they never had enough time for another proper date until tonight. And so when Tara saw the opportunity, she took it, and told Penelope to dress up fancy and sexy, like she always did, because they were going out.

They first went to a small cozy Italian restaurant on the otherside of town, which probably had one of the best pasta's in the world, before moving on to a Salsa club around the corner of the restaurant. A club Tara frequently went to when she had the time.

''Tara, babe, it's so good to see you back again'' Daniel, one of the bartenders, who was also the owner of the club, greeted the woman who walked up to the bar, who was closely followed by a blonde he had never seen in here before.

''Danny'' Tara instantly smiled, ''It's good to see you too'' she said, as she leaned over the bar and gave the man a kiss on each cheek, a standard between the pair.

''How are you doing?'' Daniel asked, ''I haven't seen you in like a month, or so''.

''Yeah, I know it's been a while, but we had some tough times at work, so there wasn't really time for night's out'' Tara told him, ''I'm doing great now though, as you can see'' she said, happiness radiating from her, ''How about you? How are you doing?''.

''I'm doing extremely well'' Daniel smiled, ''Jake finally popped the question'' he said, showing the brunette his left ring-finger.

''No way'' Tara immediately took his hand, inspecting the ring, ''He finally found the courage''.

''Uhuh'' Daniel nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

''I'm so happy for you'' Tara smiled wide up at him, as she let go of his hand, ''You deserve it''.

''Thank you'' Daniel's grin turned into a soft smile.

Penelope, who didn't know what was happening, or who this guy was, cleared her throat. She didn't want to be rude, but they were on a date after all.

''Oh, I'm so sorry Penelope'' Tara immediately turned her gaze from her friend to her date, as she realized that the woman must be feeling like she was forgotten about, ''Let me introduce you to one of my closest friends'' she said, pulling the blonde closer to her by her waist.

''Penelope, I want you to meet Daniel Stiles'' Tara said, introducing the pair to each other, ''And Danny, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Penelope Garcia''.

''Tara'' Penelope gasped, ''I thought we weren't telling anyone about us, at least not yet'' she said, though she couldn't be angry at her for too long, because the woman had just called her, her girlfriend. They hadn't even talked about it, or asked, or whatever. They had agreed on going on dates and see where it goes. She didn't mind it though, like not at all, she actually really liked the sound of it. Also, it wouldn't be fair to get angry at Tara for the slip, when she herself had let it slip to Morgan a while ago, that she was dating Tara too.

''I'm sorry'' Tara said apologetically, knowing they had agreed to that, ''It just came out''.

''And if you're worried about me telling someone, I won't. I promise'' Daniel said, sealing his lips with his fingers, telling them that their secret was safe with him.

''No, I'm not really worried about that, but thank you'' Penelope said, appreciating it.

''It's nice though, to finally have a face to the name and person Tara has been lovesick moaning about, for far too long'' he teased, mocking the brunette, making Penelope giggle at the glare Tara was throwing the guy.

''Hey, I didn't tease you when you whined on and on about Jake not popping the question'' Tara pouted.

''You do realize that he's just messing with you, right?'' Penelope said amused, though finding the pout in combination with the glare cute.

''Yeah, I'm just mocking you, Darling'' Daniel chuckled, before turning his gaze on Penelope, ''It's nice to finally meet you, by the way'' he said, extending out his hand for the blonde to shake.

''You too'' Penelope smiled, shaking his hand, ''Though I didn't even know you existed until now'' she side eyed her lover.

''Sorry, it just never came up in any of our conversations'' Tara said.

''It's all right, my Mocha Princess'' Penelope told her, ''You can make it up by ordering me a drink, because I really need one right about now'' she said, starting to feel thirsty.

''Don't worry, I can take care of that'' Daniel said, ''Do you want the monthly special?'' he asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing Tara was always up for their alcohol specials.

''Yeah, sure, that sounds good'' Tara nodded.

''What's the monthly special?'' Penelope asked, as she watched Daniel walk away to prepare their drinks.

''Each month they present a new alcoholic drink they put together, and if people like it they keep it, and if they don't, they ditch it'' Tara explained, ''You just have to try it though, because it's not always the usual taste, or something everybody likes'' she told the woman, ''Though they rarely disappoint''.

''Okay, sounds perfect'' Penelope smiled, as she pulled the brunette a little bit closer and kissed her on the cheek, which made Tara smile too.

A few minutes later Daniel walked back to their side of the bar again with two drinks in his hands, ''Here you go, ladies'' he said, putting the two glasses infront of them, each containing a pinkish liquid, a slice of grapefruit on the side, and a small umbrella to finish it off, ''Two paloma pink fruity's''.

''That looks delicious, Daniel'' Penelope said, letting go of her girlfriend, and picking up one of the glasses, taking a sip.

''What's in it?'' Tara asked, taking a sip from her own glass too, enjoying the flavors that exploded in her mouth.

''Tequila, pink grapefruit juice, and some freshly squeezed pink grapefruit and lime, finished off with a pinch of salt'' he told them, listing of all the ingredients, glad that both women seemed to like it.

''It's good, _really_ good'' Penelope said.

''Yeah, it is'' Tara agreed.

''So...a drink to keep than?'' Daniel questioned them.

''Definitely'' Tara nodded.

''Great'' Daniel replied with a smile, while noticing out of the corner of his eye that his employees needed his help, ''Ladies, I would _love_ to stay and talk some more, but there are customers who need me''.

''Yes, of course'' Tara said, understanding, he was on the job after all, ''Go'' she smiled.

''I'll call you, yeah'' Daniel said, already slowly walking away from them, ''We can arrange a get together sometime soon, or something'' he told her.

''Sounds good'' Tara called out after him, but the distance and the music made her words fall on deaf ears.

''He seems like a really nice guy'' Penelope commented.

''He is'' Tara said, as she scanned the club for an empty table, and when she found one she took Penelope's hand and led them to it.

''How did you two actually meet?'' Penelope asked, sitting down across from her girlfriend.

''We actually met here'' Tara answered, twirling the tiny umbrella around in her drink, ''Last year, when I had just moved here and didn't know the area that well I got a bit lost, and because it started pouring outside I quickly ran into the first thing that had a door that opened. And that place turned out to be this club'' Tara told her, ''I had planned on just waiting here until it cleared up outside, because it was already getting late, but eventually I ended up spending hours in this place'' she said, ''That's how I met Daniel, he was the one behind the bar serving the few people that came in the daytime, and we got talking''.

''That's nice'' Penelope smiled, a soft look covering her features, ''Isn't it amazing how you can meet new friends in the most unexpected moments and places'' she said.

''Not only friends'' Tara looked tenderly into Penelope's eyes.

''Yeah, that too'' Penelope said softly, a blush covering her cheeks, as a thought came up in her mind which made her think back to their conversation at the bar with Daniel, ''So...girlfriend húh'' Garcia's lips melted into a warm smile.

''Penelope...'' Tara sighed, ''I'm really sorry, it really just slipped out''.

''Hey, I'm not angry or something'' Penelope assured her, taking Tara's hand into her own on the table, and squeezing it, ''I'm more talking about the fact that you have never called me your girlfriend before'' she said, ''Besides, I have no right to be angry at you for that, because I accidentally let it slip to Morgan too, a few weeks ago'' she added guiltily.

''Wait...'' Tara looked up at the blonde, ''Are you serious?''.

''Yeah'' Penelope slowly nodded, still feeling guilty for breaking their promise, ''I'm sorry, I know I should've told you that Morgan knows''.

''Yeah, you should've'' Tara replied harsher than she intended, but she felt hurt that Penelope had tried to make her feel guilty about something she, herself, had done too, even when it was accidentally.

''All right'' Tara sighed, ''Lets promise each other something'' she said, sitting up a little straighter and looking directly at her girlfriend, ''No more lies, or secrets, or anything, okay?'' she said pointedly, ''If we really want to make this work, we need to communicate, we need to be completely honest with each other about _everything_ ''.

''Yes, yes, of course'' Penelope nodded in agreement, ''No more lies. No more secrets. I promise'' the blonde said, ''It's all in''.

''Exactly'' Tara said with a nod.

''I can do that'' Penelope's lips turned up into a smile, feeling much better now.

''We both can'' Tara said softly.

''Are we good again?'' Penelope questioned slowly, unsure if this had ruined their date or not.

''Yeah, we're great'' Tara replied, a growing smile on her lips showing that it was all good.

''Good'' Penelope grinned.

''Come on'' Tara said, as she threw back the last bit of her drink, ''Lets dance'' she said, as she took Penelope's hand and pulled her with her to the dance floor.

''Uhh...I'm not sure if I can dance like _that_ '' Penelope reluctantly followed the brunette, as she looked around her at everyone on the dance floor. Everyone here seeming to have their freaking masters in dancing, something she definitely didn't have. It was one of the many reasons why she rarely agreed to dance with someone. She knew she could move, but this was a whole other level she had never learned.

''Everyone can dance, Peaches'' Tara reassured her girlfriend, ''Trust me'' she said.

''What if it turns out that I really _can't_ dance?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, challenging the brunette.

''Well...'' Tara said, twirling the blonde into her arms, which made Penelope let out a squeal as she lost her balance for a minute, before finding her footing again, ''If it turns out that you really _can't_ dance, which I highly doubt, I can always teach you a thing or two'' she whispered seductively into Penelope's ear, before biting her earlobe, which made a soft moan leave Penelope's mouth that was drowned out by the music.

Tara being pleased by the blonde's reaction pulled the woman even closer to her by the small of her back, leaving no space left between them. She let her hands wander a little bit lower until they were resting on Penelope's hips, before slowly starting to move their hips together to the music. They swayed together for a while, finding the rhythm and going with it, and eventually Tara felt Penelope relax in her arms and move more freely with her. When they were completely in sync with each other, Tara pushed one of her legs between Penelope's, leading them on the spot. Gaining some confidence, Penelope let go of all of her worries about her dancing skills and wrapped an arm around Tara's neck, while letting her left hand rest on the brunette's chest, as she pressed her cheek against Tara's. Both getting swept away by their bodies moving as one.

''I told you that you could dance'' Tara said, her breath tickling the skin on Penelope's ear, making the blonde shiver.

''I guess I just needed the right teacher'' Garcia said teasingly.

The music started to slow down, making them slow down too, as they got lost in the passion that was fueled by the change of speed, which made them both forget about everything and everyone around them. The only focus they had being on each other, and the slow burning flame that inhabited their bodies.

''You're trying to kill me, aren't you?'' Penelope said, sounding slightly out of breath, as she felt her body tingle from head to toe, every touch making her feel better and better.

''Not more than usual'' Tara chuckled lightly, her hands moving even lower on Penelope's hips.

Eventually the music changed to an upbeat song again, but they were too far into their own world to notice it. The only thing they were focused on was the electrifying feeling that grew stronger with each new brush of their fingers, each new touch, and each new breath hitting the other's skin.

''God, I want you'' Penelope murmured into Tara's ear, her voice thick with build up arousal.

Tara instantly pulled back, her pupils noticeably dilated, even in the dim light, ''I want you too'' she said.

''Lets get out of here than'' Penelope bit her lip, not needing any more confirmation that tonight was the night, as she took the brunette's hand and pulled her behind her to their table, where they quickly gathered their things, before leaving the club.

The whole night the chemistry between them had felt electrified. Every touch made them tingle, every kiss made them swoon, and every look had only intensified the want for each other. It seemed like they just couldn't get enough of each other, and the dancing eventually was the last straw that made them finally give into those wants and desires.

The cold air from the night hit them like a truck, but it didn't do much to cool down the intense tension between them. Weirdly enough, it actually seemed to make the tension rise between the pair the closer they got to Penelope's apartment.

Eventually, after twenty excruciating minutes, they finally arrived at the apartment. Garcia hastily opened the frontdoor, missing the keyhole a couple of times, before finally unlocking it and gaining access to her house. Tara didn't even wait until the door was closed to push Penelope against it, immediately crashing her lips against the blonde's, and kissing the living daylights out of her. Want and desire taking control over every emotion in their bodies.

''You're...wearing...way...too...much'' Tara whispered between kisses, her hands taking a hold on Penelope's coat and pushing it from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Penelope not wanting to let Tara have all the control pushed the brunette gently away from her. With a small smirk on her lips she stepped out of her heels, and let her hand wander to the zipper on the back of her dress, slowly pulling it down, all the while staring into Tara's eyes, knowing fully that she was feeding the fire inside of the woman by doing this.

''You're a fucking tease, you know that'' Tara said, biting her lip, as she watched the blonde for a bit longer before taking a step closer to her again, not being able to keep her hands to herself. She just had to touch her. The brunette took a hold on the zipper again and unzipped the dress further, all the way down, her fingertips brushing against the soft skin of Penelope's back. Eventually the dress fell down Penelope's body, in a pool around her feet, and Tara took a step back, admiring the piece of art that was her girlfriend's body.

Over the years Garcia has become a lot more confident about her body, and even though she still has some issues with the way she looked once in a while, she didn't mind Tara's intense stare. It actually made her feel quite sexy the way the brunette was looking at her. She didn't feel judged, she felt beautiful.

''Now you're the one wearing too much, Chocolate Angel'' Penelope said with a twinkle in her eyes, as she closed the distance between them again, ''But I can take care of that'' she winked, as she stood on her tippy-toes and pecked her girlfriend on the lips, before reaching behind the brunette and unzipping her dress, letting it fall down her body, immediately forgetting about it the moment their almost naked skin brushed against each other. Tara quickly kicked off her heels and stepped out of her dress. Not wanting to have any obstacles between them as they slowly, but surely, made their way to the bedroom. All the while she let her hands and lips wander to every part of Penelope's body she could reach, parts she hadn't had the pleasure of seeing or feeling before.

And eventually after having bumped into some furniture, and having stopped for some much needed kisses and touches, they made it to the bedroom. Tara feeling her lungs scream for air pulled away from the blonde, and instead let her lips wander from Garcia's mouth to her cheek and down to her neck. Several moans leaving Penelope's mouth as she felt Tara's lips and tongue against her highly sensitive skin.

The blonde let herself relish in the bliss of having Tara's lips and tongue on her, until she wanted more, until she wanted in on the action again. So she put her hands on the side of Tara's face and pulled her back up, so they were eye to eye, before she crashed their lips together again making them tumble onto the bed. Penelope ending up on top, and getting the upperhand.

Tara's hand was slowly inching towards the clasp of Penelope's bra, when suddenly the blonde stilled and stopped everything she was doing to the brunette.

''What's wrong?'' Tara asked, looking concerned up at her girlfriend.

''We're not moving _too_ fast, are we?'' Penelope questioned, biting her lip, feeling silly for asking about it in the heat of the moment, ''You really want this, right?''.

''You're asking me this _now_ , when we're in this position'' Tara chuckled.

''Tara...please'' Garcia said, her eyes showing that she needed the confirmation she was searching for.

''I'm sorry'' Tara apologized, her eyes turning soft as she looked deeply into her girlfriend's brown eyes, ''Believe me when I say this, Penelope'' she said, pushing a curl out of the woman's face and behind her ear, before cupping her cheek, ''I have wanted you from the very first moment that we met. I actually can't think of anybody that I've wanted more than I want _you_ '' she told her honestly.

''Okay'' Penelope nodded, ''That's all I needed to hear'' she said, ''Because I want you more than anything, too'' she smiled, as she leaned down and pulled Tara into another kiss.

* * *

 **A/n3: So...I didn't plan on ending this chapter like this, but here we are! Oh well, no shame in writing some intimate moments between a loving couple, right?! Though I have to tell you that I'm not exactly a smut writer, maybe in future chapters I will dive into that, but for now it's just going to be intimate moments! Thank you for reading, and until the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: Yes, my girl Emily Prentiss is back! I'm so freaking happy and excited! She has always been one of my faves and now she's back for good. Though I did miss my weekly dose of Tara Lewis in last nights episode. But anyway, thanks again for all the reads, reviews etc... I still appreciate them a lot, you guys really keep me motivated to go on!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten (and honestly every chapter will probably end up being rewritten!). By the way, you know how I told you that the timeline doesn't add up a couple of chapters back, well to make sense of the timeline now I will tell you that the beginning of this chapter happens somewhere in the middle of July, and the end of this chapter in the middle of September. Just some clarification for the people who might not completely understand the timeline in this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

''God, I'm glad I can ditch these now'' Tara said, as she took off her heels and threw them to the side, before making her way to the kitchen to get something to drink and eat. Leaving Penelope, who was still busy taking off her own shoes, in the hallway.

They had just come back to Tara's apartment after a nice dinner at one of the local restaurants around the corner. A restaurant that kind of has become their place, and where they, without a doubt, had a great time. They liked going out, and they enjoyed all the fancy and fun things they could do in a big city like Washington DC.

But even though they enjoyed doing _all_ of that, there was absolutely nothing they loved more than just staying inside, just being together. Especially after those hectic days at work. After those days they much rather just put on a movie and cuddle up on the couch, or just lay in bed and laze around.

''Penelope'' Tara called out to her girlfriend, ''Do you want popcorn or patato chips?''.

''Popcorn of course'' Penelope called back like it shouldn't even be a question in the first place, ''You know it belongs to a movie night'' she said, as she was rummaging through her purse, searching for something important she knew she had put in there. And finally, after a couple of minutes, she found the small object she was searching for and put her bag down on the ground. The only thing she needed to do now was find a place she could keep it safe until she was able to give it to Tara. She searched her dress for any pockets, but couldn't find any, because no one ever thought about making dresses with pockets for some reason. So, having no other choice, she slid the small object into her bra, before making her way to the livingroom to pick out a movie for them to watch.

It had been quite some months, seven to be exact, since their second date, and a lot has happened since then. After they got together at the end of November, life became a roller-coaster of dates, work, and spending as much time together as they possibly could, though that didn't always work out that way. Their first Christmas and New Year's eve together last year proved that, when they got interrupted by two cases back to back. Something they really weren't thrilled with, but couldn't do anything about.

But, besides that, life was looking good for them. Things were really going great between them. They still hadn't told anyone about their relationship, and they actually weren't planning on doing that anytime soon either. They loved their family and friends, but this relationship, this personal and private thing the team didn't know about, was something they needed at the moment, without anyone interfering. They would eventually tell them, of course they would, but for now they loved it just being the two of them.

However, they weren't in complete luck of hiding their relationship successfully, because earlier this year, in May, they had ran into Derek and Savannah when they were out on a date. Though they both knew that Derek already knows, Savannah still didn't. So they tried making excuses, but they couldn't fool the woman. Savannah, who finally figured out who the mystery person was Penelope went out on a date with all those months ago, was excited to see that, that person was Tara Lewis. She didn't know the brunette that well, only had met her a couple of times in the past, but she had heard a lot of good things about her, and she couldn't be anything but happy for the couple. Which the two women were relieved with, glad that people around them were accepting them. Especially because they felt in their hearts that this wasn't _just_ a fling. There was definitely something much bigger between them.

Penelope had just picked out a dvd to watch, when Tara walked back into the livingroom with drinks in one hand, and a bowl with popcorn in the other, making Garcia smile and hold up the dvd they were going to watch.

''Again?'' Tara groaned, as she put everything she held in her hands down on the coffeetable.

''Yes, _again_ '' Penelope grinned, taking out the disk and putting it into the waiting dvd-player, before pressing play to close it and to start the movie, ''What are you gonna do about?'' the blonde smirked, knowing Tara couldn't do anything about it because it was her turn to choose.

''I guess nothing'' Tara sighed deeply, making it look like she minded it, which she didn't that much. As long as her girlfriend was happy, so was she. And if that meant watching Mamma Mia once a month for the rest of her life, so be it.

''You guessed completely right'' Penelope winked as she sat down next to the brunette, swinging her legs over Tara's and making herself comfortable against her, her skirt riding up a bit because of it and showing the tops of her stockings. Tara loved Penelope's style, she loved that the blonde was old fashioned, and that the woman was literally a 50's pin up girl.

''Using me as you personal footrest has become you thing, húh'' Tara said amused, as she let her fingers trail from Penelope's knee to the beginning of her stockings, fingering the material there. The tips of her fingers brushing against the soft naked skin under it once in a while, which she knew drove her girlfriend insane. Ever since they started dating, especially after their first time together, touching had become a big part of their relationship. They just had to be close and intimate whenever they could. Which led them a few times to almost getting caught making out in Garcia's office.

''Can you blame me? When you're so soft and comfy'' Penelope replied, as she closely watched every move her girlfriend was making with her fingers, a feeling of arousal settling in her body. But the moment Tara saw that Penelope got too aroused, she pulled her fingers away and placed her hand back to just above her knee, like nothing had happened, ''You're such a tease'' Penelope pouted.

''I know'' Tara said, a small smirk present on her lips, ''You love it though'' she stated, knowing the blonde all too well.

''Sadly enough, I do'' Penelope said, ''But only because I know you _always_ follow up on your teasing''.

''And I always will, M'Lady'' Tara gave the blonde a peck on her lips, the light kiss being filled with promises for later.

''Good'' Penelope smiled softly, as she licked her lips, wanting to savor the taste of Tara's lips a little bit longer.

''Shall we watch that movie now?'' Tara asked, ''Because, you know, the sooner we're done watching it, the sooner I can follow up on those promises'' she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

''As good as that sounds, there is one thing I want...no...that I _need_ to do before we do that'' Penelope said, sitting up a bit straighter and looking directly at Tara. The tension dwindling down as seriousness filled the air.

''Okay...what do you need to do?'' Tara asked, noticing the way Penelope was looking at her, which made her curious as to what her girlfriend was going to do, or say, next.

''Things are going good between us, right?'' Garcia questioned, wanting to know if they were on the same page before she was going to ask what she really wanted to ask.

''Why are you asking?'' Tara's brows furrowed, confused, not understanding where Penelope was going with this.

''Please, just answer the question'' Penelope said, taking a hold on Tara's hand that laid on her thigh.

''Yeah, things are going great'' Tara answered, ''Even more than that'' she said, as she felt the blonde intertwine their fingers, ''Why the question though? You know things are going good, right?''.

''Yes, I know that'' Penelope nodded, ''But I wanted to know if you felt the same way too'' she told her, ''Because I want to know if we're ready for this next step'' she said, pulling out the small object from her bra, and holding it up in the air between them.

Tara's eyes widened, her mouth falling slightly open, as her gaze landed on the metal object in Penelope's hand. Now understanding exactly why Penelope wanted to know how they were doing, and if she felt the same way.

''Penelope, are you sure?'' Tara looked up from the key to the soulful brown eyes that were already looking back at her.

''More than'' Penelope said, a tender look covering her face, ''I know we haven't been together for a very long time, just about eight months, but I've never felt more sure in my life. You and me, it's not _just_ something, it's not _just_ a fling, and I know you know that too. And that's the reason why I believe that we're ready for this'' Penelope said, ''That's why I want you to have access to my house, and I want you to treat it like it's yours too. That way we can see where this could go, and we can see if it'll work for us to maybe, eventually, move in together someday'' she told her, ''What do you think?'' Penelope looked expectantly up at the woman, hoping to see that they were still on the same page.

Tara felt overwhelmed by the unexpected turn in their evening, and she was trying to wrap her mind around everything Penelope had just said and proposed.

''Are you still here?'' Penelope nervously chuckled, waving her free hand infront of Tara's frozen face.

''Y-yeah'' Tara shook her head, shaking away all her thoughts, ''I'm here'' she said.

''So...what do you say?'' Garcia asked, a nervous smile on her lips, ''Wanna have a trial run?'' she questioned, as she pushed the key closer to the brunette.

Now that everything had sunken in, and she had thought about it for a minute, she didn't need to think any more about the answer, because there was only one way to go here, ''I would love to'' Tara said, her face splitting into a grin, as she looked directly at Penelope, ''I love you'' she told the blonde, the words having slipped out much easier than she thought they would.

''Y-you love me?'' Penelope said shocked, her stomach fluttering with butterflies, as she finally heard the words she had longed to hear from the beautiful brunette for a long time now.

''Yeah'' Tara nodded. In her head she had repeated those three little words on a loop for the past, at least, three or four months, as she patiently waited for the perfect moment to tell them. But she had never found the right moment, until now. And now that she had _finally_ expressed how she truly felt, she felt a weight slide of from her shoulders.

''You sure?'' Penelope raised both her eyebrows, gazing from on eye to the other.

''Of course I'm sure, you silly woman'' Tara laughed, ''How can I _not_ fall in love with you'' she said.

''Good answer'' Penelope's lips curled up into a grin, ''Because I love you, too'' she said, feeling like she was on cloud nine, as she closed the distance between them. This was definitely a great moment for a _long_ and _lingering_ kiss.

The kiss went on for a good couple of minutes, until the sound of a phone going off interrupted them. Not wanting to break their embrace, they let the phone go to voicemail, and went back to making out. But just when they were really getting into it again, the phone went off again too. Grumbling they pulled away from each other, both feeling annoyed by the interruption.

Tara, without looking at the caller id, because she only planned on telling the person on the otherside to fuck off, answered the phone, ''Lewis'' she said, sounding very displeased.

''Lewis?'' Hotch's voice came through the receiver, the man sounding confused, ''Why are you answering Garcia's phone?'' he asked.

Tara's eyes widened, as she pulled the phone away from her ear to check it, and indeed she had picked up Penelope's phone, ''Uhh...because we're hanging out and I thought it was my phone'' she said, trying to cover up the mistake, while Garcia was sitting next to her trying her hardest to hold back the laughter and giggles that were dying to burst out.

''Stop it'' Tara whisper-shouted to Penelope, who had a glint in her eyes Tara didn't trust, as the blonde inched closer to her.

''What was that?'' Hotch questioned, having heard an indistinct whisper he couldn't make the words out of.

''Sorry Hotch, that was nothing'' Tara glared at her girlfriend, hoping that by mentioning that it was their boss Penelope would stop teasing her, but she didn't. Instead, Penelope started kissing her neck. First leaving a few soft kisses, before suckling on the skin, which was something that felt absolutely amazing, but so inappropriate at the same time.

A soft moan escaped Tara's lips, which she immediately tried to cover up with a yawn, which in return made Penelope chuckle against her throat, pleased with her actions. Tara silently scolded herself for being so easily affected, because now she was going to have a hard time looking their boss in the eye the next couple of days.

''Okay...'' Hotch said slowly, slightly frowning, knowing there was something she wasn't telling him, but he didn't question it further because there were far more important things they needed to talk about, ''Can you please hand over the phone to Garcia'' he told her.

''Yes, of course, I'll give her right away'' Tara replied to him, glad that she could hand over the phone to the blonde, before she would embarrass herself even more infront of their Unit Chief.

Slightly pouting for being interrupted in her teasing, Penelope pulled away and took the phone from her girlfriend, putting it to her ear, ''Good evening, Boss man'' she said, while tracing the skin on Tara's neck, she had just suckled on, with her finger. Feeling rather pleased with the couple of wet spots she left there.

''It's not really such a good evening'' Hotch replied with a sigh, ''We caught a case''.

Penelope's hand instantly stilled when she heard the word 'case', and she internally groaned when she realized what that meant. Tonight was definitely not turning out the way she wanted it to, ''How bad?'' she asked.

''The fourth male victim in a time period of eight days'' Hotch told her, ''They were all found here in D.C., and all of them were burned to the bone'' he said, ''And because of the short time window between the kills, the Director wants us on it _immediately_ ''.

''I understand'' Penelope sighed, ''I'll call the others, and make sure that we're all there as soon as possible'' she said to her boss before hanging up, ''We caught a case'' she told Tara, as she locked her phone.

''Killers really know how to ruin a mood, don't they'' Tara grumbled, as she pushed Penelope's legs from her lap.

''They certainly do'' Penelope said, as the pair stood up and turned off everything, before gathering their stuff and heading over to the bureau.

* * *

''Are you fucking kidding me'' Tara groaned, slumping back against her chair as she heard her girlfriend pick up her phone, answering their boss.

The whole night was going great, they were on a double date with Morgan and Savannah, and they were just enjoying their main-course when Garcia's phone went off. This was the fifth time in the past two months, and both women were a grumbling mess under it, because it wasn't like they had a lot of free time besides work to go on dates. So to be called on a night that was supposed to be theirs, that was supposed to be free, was freaking frustrating.

''At least you get to go with you girlfriend and be with her on the job'' Savannah said, trying to lighten up the situation, because she knew how it felt to be left behind. It had happened quite a lot when Derek was still working for the BAU. Though, in return, she had left her husband hanging once in a while too because of her job at the hopsital.

''Yeah, sure'' Tara scoffed, ''But only until we hop on that jet again and fly out to another state for the next, I don't know how many, days'' she said.

''I'm so sorry, guys'' Penelope said apologetically as she hung up her phone, ''But Mr. Suit and Tie needs us, we caught a bad one''.

''Don't worry about us, Baby girl, we know the deal'' Morgan told her, as he watched the two women reluctantly gather their stuff.

''We'll make up for it, I promise'' Garcia said to the married couple, as she stood up and went over to their side to give both of them a hug as goodbye.

''I know you guys will'' Savannah smiled, accepting a hug from Tara.

''And we know how important your job is'' Morgan reassured them that it was all right, ''So go, safe some people'' he told them, as he left a kiss on Penelope's cheek.

''We will'' Penelope replied with a soft smile, ''Come on, lets go'' Penelope said to her girlfriend.

''Babe, we still need to pay for our food'' Tara said.

''We'll take care of that'' Savannah said, waving their concerns about money away.

''Next time we're paying, okay'' Tara told them pointedly.

''You here that Savannah, it looks like we're going to that expensive five star restaurant across town next time'' Morgan teased.

''Derek'' Savannah scolded her husband for teasing their friends like that.

''I was just kidding, baby'' Derek kissed his wife on the cheek.

''You better be'' Savannah side eyed him.

''Guys, as much as we love to stay and talk longer, Hotch did say he needed us ASAP'' Penelope told them, feeling sad herself that they had to cut this evening short.

''Of course'' Savannah said, understanding, ''We'll call soon, okay''.

''Yes, sounds good'' Penelope nodded.

''Bye guys'' Derek waved them goodbye.

''Bye'' the pair replied to the other couple, before walking away.

* * *

After checking themselves into the bureau, they made their way to the elevators to get up to the sixth floor. They had just entered one of the elevators, watching the doors close as they leaned against the farthest wall, when an arm pushed through them, opening the doors again. Prentiss, followed by Reid, walking in.

''Fancy'' Prentiss said with a smirk, as she noticed the styling of clothing. If she needed anymore confirmation this one was definitely it, ''Did you guys have a special occasion?'' she raised an eyebrow.

''Shut up'' Tara rolled her eyes at the smug look on Emily's face, knowing fully that she had them figured out for quite some time now.

''Be nice'' Penelope playfully slapped Tara's arm with the back of her hand.

''Why are you hurting me woman'' Tara said, as she rubbed the place where Penelope had slapped her.

''So...that's how you guys work'' Emily wiggled her eyebrows.

''What?'' Reid furrowed his brows, not understanding Emily's comment.

''It's nothing, Spencer'' Tara patted his shoulder, ''Prentiss is just a sadist, that's all'' she said, looking mockingly over to the other agent.

''Hey'' Emily swatted Tara's other arm, ''I'm not a sadist'' she said.

''Am I some sort of punching bag for you guys or something'' Tara now rubbed her other arm, while glaring at both her colleague and her girlfriend.

''Kinda'' Penelope teased with a shrug, looking amused up to her lover.

''Oh...you just wait and see'' Tara narrowed her eyes at Garcia, a glint evident in her eyes that told the woman she was going to get some kind of payback. A payback Penelope knew she was going to love.

''Can't wait'' Penelope winked, making the brunette shake her head at her girlfriend's antics.

''God, you guys are sickening'' Emily muttered under her breath, as the ding of the elevator told them that they had arrived at their floor. The foursome walking out of the elevator and towards the glassdoors of the BAU department.

''Where did you guys actually go to?'' Reid asked, having noticed the dressy clothes too.

Penelope quickly glanced up at Tara, silently asking her for help, before answering herself, ''We...uhh...we went out for drinks'' Penelope in the end settled on, not being able to think of a better or a stronger excuse.

''Yeah, we just went out for drinks'' Tara went along with her, ''We actually went to this new bar on Pennsylvania Ave'' she told them, ''They've got these poem and stand-up performers, it's pretty awesome'' she said. And the thing is, she wasn't even lying, because they went there about a month ago for a date.

''I haven't heard of that place before'' Reid frowned. He thought he knew their city inside-out, but apparently not. ''It sounds awesome though, like you said'' he smiled, ''Maybe, if you don't mind, I could come along next time'' he said, as he believed every word the two women just told him, as they walked up to the conference-room, Prentiss looking at him like he was dumb or something.

''For a genius you sometimes say some dumb shit'' Emily shook her head.

Tara had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud, because she knew the raven haired woman was onto Penelope and her, so it was really funny to see her reaction to all the people who were still oblivious to it.

''Emily'' Garcia chided her friend, ''Be nice to the kid'' she said, ''He's the oblivious one of the team after all''.

''What is that supposed to mean?'' Reid raised both his eyebrows, which made the three women giggle.

''Are they bullying you again, Spence'' JJ asked sympathetically, as the foursome entered the room where everyone, minus Hotch, was already seated.

''Yes, they're mocking me'' he pouted, taking a seat next to Rossi, ''Women are so mean''.

''Better get used to it, Kid'' Rossi told him, ''And sooner rather than later'' he added, ''Because that is how women work to keep men under their thumb'' he said, as he patted the younger agent's arm, ''It's the reason why jobs like these exist, so we can still have our masculinity and dignity intact while we're under their spell''.

''Yeah, a job where the majority of the team exists out of women'' Tara stated jokingly, as she sat down, ''A nice way of keeping your masculinity and dignity intact, gentlemen'' she chuckled.

''Good one'' Prentiss high-fived the taller woman.

''I'm sorry, Spencer'' Rossi said with a melodramatic sigh, ''Forget about everything I just said, because we totally messed up''.

''Well, _that's_ good to know'' Reid rolled his eyes, as he opened up the case file that laid presented infront of him.

''Everyone ready?'' Hotch questioned his team, as he walked into the conference-room, Garcia immediately standing up so she can present the case to them. The atmosphere in the room instantly changing from teasing to serious.

''All right, Crime fighters'' Penelope started, picking up the controller, ''Seven victims have been found strangled to death in San Francisco in the past two months. All of them were little girls between the ages of six and nine'' she told them, ''Also, all of the victims, before they were killed, were sexually assaulted'' she said, ending her sentence with a big sigh. She hated cases like these. Her heart always broke into a million pieces for all the innocent children that were murdered for no reasonable reason whatsoever.

''Blonde hair, blue eyes, that definitely sounds like our Unsub has a type'' JJ said, as she looked over all the pictures, from every victim, in her case file.

''That's not the only common thing these girls have'' Hotch said, ''All of them were also from the same elementary school''.

''Yes'' Penelope nodded, ''Victim's two, three and seven were in the same class, while one and four were best friend's''.

''Do we assume that this might have something to do with the school itself?'' Tara asked, looking around the table, ''A teacher, a janitor, or someone else who's close to them inside the school''.

''No'' Hotch shook his head, ''We don't know enough to start assuming things''.

''The Unsub is definitely a sadist'' Reid said, studying the images in his file, ''He seemed to have inflicted as much pain on them as possible, before eventually strangling them''.

''Yeah, he left them almost unrecognizable. Forensics had a hard time identifying each victim'' Penelope told them, sounding close to tears. She normally already had a hard time talking about and seeing all of this stuff when it came to grown people, but this time they were talking about children, and that was always a lot harder.

Tara looked worried up at her girlfriend after having heard the tears in her voice, and made a mental note to talk to her, to make sure that she was all right, before they left.

''Are those...?'' Rossi trailed off, turning the image to have a better look.

''Yes'' Hotch nodded, knowing exactly what the senior agent was talking about, ''He carved a satanic circle on their backs''.

''A satanic circle could mean that he's sacrificing these children'' JJ said.

''I don't know'' Reid said, ''A killer who sacrifices his victims usually doesn't inflict this much harm to their bodies'' he told them, ''He actually wants them as pure as possible''.

''So if this isn't a killer who sacrifices his victims, than what kind of killer is he?'' Prentiss said, as she looked over the crime scene photos in her file, a horrified look covering her face as she noticed the amount of violence their Unsub had used on these innocent little girls.

''The kind that needs to be locked up'' Garcia shuddered, the Unsub giving her more than just the creeps.

''I second that'' Tara breathed out.

''All right everyone, we'll talk about the case further on the plane, because they want us there as soon as possible'' Hotch told them, ''Wheels up in 30'' he said, before standing up and making his way out of the room.

Tara thought about going over to Penelope and talk to her right away, but in the end she decided against that. Instead she went to her desk to pick up her go-bag, like everyone else was doing, while silently hoping that she could sneak away for a bit in the next half hour before they left.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tara looked around the bullpen and noticed that everyone was off doing their own thing, and not paying her any attention, so she picked up her go-bag and quickly made her way out of the department. First making a stop at the ladies room to change her clothing, because it would be tough catching an Unsub in a tight dress and four inch heels, before making her way to Penelope's lair. Still wanting to talk to her before they left for San Francisco.

Knocking on the door, she entered the office without waiting for an answer, ''Hey, babe'' Tara greeted the blonde, who was already busy typing away on her computers, which was an impressive sight to see if you didn't know anything technology related.

''M'Lady'' Penelope said, as she immediately twirled her chair around the moment she heard the voice of her favorirte person on the planet earth, a happy smile automatically forming on her lips by just hearing her, ''I thought you guys were already gone'' she said, as she stood up to meet Tara halfway.

''No, we're still here'' Tara replied, as she put her go-bag down on the desk beside her, ''Besides, I couldn't just leave without a proper goodbye and kiss, could I?'' she smiled, as she took a hold on Penelope's waist, pulling her closer.

''No, you definitely couldn't'' Penelope's smile turned gentle, as she looked into the dark brown eyes of her girlfriend, ''I would get pissed if you did that'' she teased.

''I know'' Tara chuckled softly, as she stared back at the blonde, silence falling between them.

''Are you gonna be all right?'' Penelope asked concerned after the sudden silence, looking worried from one eye to the other and back, as she put a hand on the brunette's cheek for comfort, stroking the soft skin with her thumb.

She knew cases like these, involving children, were some of the hardest to do. And the last time they had one Tara had been on edge for at least a week or two after they had closed the case. So now that they had another one, and this one being even more cruel than any other children's cases they have had before, she was worried it was going to be too much for her girlfriend.

''Yeah, I'll be fine'' Tara reassured her, ''I just need to try to distance myself from it. Not get too attached like last time'' she said, ''How about you? Are you going to be fine? Because you sounded like you wanted to cry back there in the conference-room''.

''It's just so cruel, you know'' Garcia sighed sadly, as she let her hand, that was still on Tara's cheek, drop to the brunette's upperarm, taking a hold there, ''I just can't believe someone is evil enough to do something like that to these innocent children'' she said, ''It's not right''.

''No it's not'' Tara agreed, ''But that is why we exist, why these kind of jobs exist, so we can hunt them down and lock them up for the rest of their lives''.

''I know'' Penelope nodded, ''But still...'' she said with a shrug.

''I understand'' Tara said softly, as she looked down at her, ''You're going to be all right, though?''.

''Yes, I'll be fine. I always am in the end'' Penelope told her, ''Besides, I've got you, that's all I need to be fine'' she smiled up to the brunette.

''You will always have me'' Tara smiled back.

''Good'' Penelope said just above a whisper, as she leaned up to kiss Tara, Tara meeting her halfway.

After a minute they pulled apart, both being reminded that time was ticking away. Tara looked at the time on her watch, and immediately knew that she had to leave, ''As much as I love to stay here, doing this all night, I don't think the team will appreciate that'' Tara sighed, letting go of Penelope, before picking up her go-bag again.

''Yeah, I don't think so either'' Garcia said, ''Come on, I'll walk you to the elevators'' she told her, as she picked up a file from her desk, before linking her fingers with Tara's, ''There's some new information I need to give to Hotch, anyway''.

''Sounds good, Peaches'' Tara said, as they left the office hand-in-hand.

As they neared the elevators they quickly un-linked their fingers, and let their hands fall to their sides, both still not wanting to let the team in on their secret relationship. Although, after almost ten months, it was becoming harder and harder to keep things on the down-low. But they were managing.

Eventually reaching the team, they mingled with them and made conversation, as they all had to wait for Rossi and Hotch to join them before they could leave.

''Eveyone ready to go?'' Hotch asked, when he and Rossi finally approached them after five minutes, getting a round of nods back from his teammembers, ''Good, lets go than'' he said.

''Hotch, wait'' Garcia stopped her boss before he could enter the elevator, ''I was able to find some new information, and gather some new things. It's not much, but I still put it all in here'' she said, handing over the file she had in her hands to him.

''Thank you, Garcia'' Hotch nodded, appreciating the speed of the blonde's magic on her computers.

''No problem" she smiled, as she watched the team all disappear into the elevator now.

Tara lingered behind a bit, mouthing a quick and silent 'I love you' to Penelope, which the quirky blonde replied with a grin, before she made her way into the elevator too. Garcia watched until the elevator doors closed completely, before making a move to head back to her lair, her mind set on solving this case as soon as possible.

* * *

''Garcia, do you have something? Anything?'' Emily questioned through the phone, as she looked at the table where Hotch and the parents of the latest missing girl, Lucy Jenkins, sat talking to the Unsub. The rest of the team surrounding them, as they looked and listened on intently to the conversation.

This morning, for some reason, the Unsub had left a note on the doorstep of the Jenkins' house, the note reading that he would be contacting them at two o'clock, and give them an option that could safe their little girl. The team couldn't understand why though, why the Unsub decided to contact the family of the girl he held captive, because he certainly hadn't done that before.

He wasn't the kind of Unsub who got off on being the sympathetic one. He was the kind of Unsub who got off on physically and sexually abusing little girls. He's not a killer who showed remorse, or gave away options so his victims could survive. He's a sadist, and a pedophile. But it didn't matter if they profiled him right or wrong, the important thing now was that this was an opportunity to find out his location, and hopefully safe the little girl he had kidnapped.

''Give me another minute'' Garcia said, desperately trying to find a tower the phone might be pinging off of, but finding none.

''We might not _have_ another minute'' Prentiss said, as she heard the conversation between the Unsub, Hotch and the parents turn south.

''I'm trying my best, but this bastard might be using a burner phone'' Penelope said, her voice getting harsher with each word, as she felt angry at the Unsub and herself for not getting what she usually could get within seconds.

''Or he might not be anywhere near here'' Prentiss sighed, her head turning sharply as the sound of a painful cry filled the room, the sound coming from Mrs. Jenkins, as desperate screams followed by choking noises could be heard coming through the speaker of the phone, making Emily's eyes widen and tear up.

''Oh my God'' JJ covered her mouth with her hand.

''Penelope, _please_ tell me you got a location'' Emily said, her throat feeling constricted by the lump that was forming in there.

''I'm so, _so_ sorry, but I've got nothing'' Penelope told her, her voice laced with tears. She had heard the hysterical screams and choking sounds in the background noise, and she's been long enough on the job to know what that meant. She was too late.

''We got nothing'' Prentiss announced to the room, looking dejected, ''The phone doesn't register anywhere near here'' she told them.

''Ask Garcia to check again, and make her widen her search'' Rossi immediately replied to Prentiss, not wanting to give up yet, ''We still got the Unsub on the line, so there might still be a chance on getting a location or something''.

''Okay'' Emily nodded, before turning back to her conversation with the tech, ''Garcia, widen your search and try again''.

''All right, I'm going to try my best'' Penelope replied, immediately working on adjusting her radius from 20 miles to a wider one.

''Well, well, well agents, it seems like you've got a little girl's murder on your conscience now'' the Unsub maliciously said, taunting them, ''If _only_ you had listened to me, than she could've been walking out of here _alive_ ''.

''You sick son of a _bitch_ '' Tara jumped up from her seat, the chair toppling over behind her, ''Now you're going to listen me. And you're going to listen to me good'' she growled, ''It doesn't matter if we listened to you or not, because you would've killed that little girl anyway. You're only sadist enough to involve the parents this time and let them hear their little girl's murder, let them hear her take her last breath, without even giving them a chance to say goodbye first''.

''But let me tell you this...'' Tara's voice getting scarily low now, even scaring the agents around her, who've never seen her react like this before, ''When you finally stand infront of me, don't you ever _think_ for _one_ second that I will hesitate shooting you, because I can't wait to put a bullet between your eyes''.

''Lewis, that's enough'' Hotch told her sternly, eyeing her down.

''Whatever'' Tara scoffed as she walked away, out of the house, being desperately in need for some fresh air.

''It sounds like one of your agents got some serious anger management issues'' the Unsub said, enjoying every moment of their mental torture, like any sadist would.

''Only because of your taunting'' Hotch said, having had enough of the sick mental torture the Unsub has been inflicting on not only them, but on Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins too, ''But let me tell you something'' he said, ''Eventually we _will_ find you, and when we do, I'm not sure if I will hold agent Lewis back from shooting you'' Hotch told the Unsub harshly, before clicking the button to disconnect the sound so the Unsub couldn't hear them anymore.

''Put Garcia on speakerphone'' Hotch ordered Prentiss, who immediately did what her boss told her, ''Garcia, do you have something?'' he asked the blonde.

''I'm sorry, Sir'' Garcia answered sorrowful, ''I've got nothing''.

''It's okay, Penelope'' Hotch said, knowing he couldn't blame her for the dead-end, after all the blonde did everything she could to help them. He just really thought they were at least close to finding out the area the Unsub might be located, but apparently he was wrong.

''Guys, it's not like he left us with nothing'' Reid spoke up.

''What are you talking about?'' Hotch frowned.

''In the background'' Reid said, ''I heard something that sounded like it shook the foundation of the house, or cabin, or wherever he's at'' he elaborated his thoughts.

''You mean something like a train? Or heavy traffic?'' JJ quickly caught on with what Reid meant.

''Yes, that's exactly what I mean'' Reid nodded.

''I don't think he'll be close to a highway, or a busy street, though'' Rossi said.

''Why not?'' Prentiss questioned.

''Because he said something about no one being able to hear any of the screams anyway'' Rossi told them, ''So, I'm guessing, he's got somewhere private. Something farther away from civilization''.

''I hear you, my favorite Italian'' Garcia said sounding a little more optimistic now, as she adjusted her parameters, ''I'm going to widen my search, and search for location's in San Francisco that are close to train-tracks, but far enough from civilization that he's got privacy'' she told them, ''Garcie out'' she added.

''Wait'' Prentiss called out, stopping the quirky blonde from hanging up, as she put her phone off of speakerphone and brought it up to her ear, ''Can I talk to you for a minute?'' she asked her friend.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope replied with a slight frown, having heard the urge in her voice.

Prentiss, who didn't want this to become a public conversation, walked away and into the kitchen of the Jenkins house, the team following her with their eyes, as they all wondered what the woman was up to.

After being certain no one could overhear her, she leaned against the kitchen-counter and crossed an arm over her stomach, ''Pen, I think you should call Tara in a minute'' she eventually said.

''What...why?'' Penelope asked concerned, ''What happened to my Chocolate Angel?''.

''She kind of lost it when the Unsub started taunting us'' Emily answered with a sigh, ''And _honestly_ I've never seen her like this before, and I think you're the only one who can make her feel better at this moment''.

''What do you mean?'' Penelope asked cautiously, biting the inside of her cheek.

''Oh, come on'' Prentiss rolled her eyes, ''I've known about you two _way_ before you were even a thing, so don't go all nonchalant and innocent on me, because I _know_ ''.

''Okay, _fine_ '' Garcia gave in. There was no need in keeping up the facade when her friend already knew, ''We actually kinda figured that you'd know, anyway''.

''That's because I notice _everything_ '' Prentiss chuckled, ''Took you long enough to admit to it, though''.

''That's because we wanted to keep things on the down-low for now'' Penelope said, ''We want it to just be us for a while''.

''I understand'' Emily said, a smile on her lips now, ''And I'm happy for you''.

''Thank you'' Garcia's lips turned up into a smile too, glad to hear that her good friend was happy for her, ''I'm going to hang up now though'' Penelope said, ''Because I heard something about my girlfriend needing me''.

''Yes, of course'' Prentiss nodded, ''I'll talk to you later, Penelope'' she said.

''Bye, Sweetums'' Penelope replied before hanging up.

* * *

Tara stood on the front-porch of the Jenkins house with her hands gripping the railing, and her head hanging down between her shoulders, as she slowly breathed in- and out, trying to get control over her anger. She was definitely close to snapping and just finding the Unsub on her own and kill the bastard with her gun. It scared her to death that she felt no hesitation, whatsoever, to just kill him. She literally had no feelings except for pure hatred towards him, and it wasn't doing her any good, her outburst was one great indication of that. She really needed to calm down, and start looking at the case more objectively, because she couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way. It wouldn't do anything good for her professional status.

Breathing out, she let her shoulders sag down. She actually had no idea why she even reacted so heavily to it. Of course, hearing someone being killed, especially a child, on the phone has a huge impact on someone, but she has never lost it before. So why now all of a sudden? She didn't have any children of her own, she never went through anything traumatizing as a child, except for her mother passing away from cancer, so what made her act out like that.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted though by the sound of her phone. Sighing, she stood up straight again and took her phone out, her lips instantly turning up into a faint smile when she saw the caller-id.

''Hey, you'' she said, answering her phone.

''Hiya'' Penelope's soft voice came through the receiver, ''How are you holding up?'' the blonde asked, ''Because Emily told me you kind of lost it back there'' she said, worry clear as day in her voice.

Tara turned around and leaned against the porch, letting out another sigh, ''Yeah, something like that'' she murmured.

''What happened?''.

''The Unsub was acting so cruel and I just snapped. I just couldn't sit there and not say nothing'' Tara told her, anger bubbling up again, ''You heard what he did to that little girl, you should've seen the looks on her parent's face's, it was heartbreaking to say the least''.

''I know, baby'' Garcia said, her words laced with sadness. Tara not being the only one who was deeply affected by what the Unsub had done.

''I just...I don't know'' Tara let her head fall down, not sure _how_ to feel, or _what_ to feel, ''Penelope, did I do the wrong thing by yelling at the Unsub like that?''.

''Listen to me'' Penelope said sternly, ''You did what you thought was right at that moment, because you were deeply hurt by what he did. There's nothing wrong with that'' Penelope told her, hoping to get through to her girlfriend, ''Could you have dealt with your anger differently, definitely, but we all have our breaking points, we all have our limits, and you reached yours. No one can blame you for that. We're still human, remember''.

''Thank you for saying that'' Tara sniffled, as she wiped a stray tear away from her cheek, ''I really needed to hear that''.

''Hey, don't cry'' Penelope said softly, her heart always starting to ache when her girlfriend cried.

''I'm not crying'' Tara lied.

''Tara, don't lie to me'' Penelope said sharply, using her given name, which let the brunette know that the woman was serious, ''Because, first of all, I can see right through your lies, and second of all, I'm your girlfriend, you need to confide in me, not lie to me''.

''I know'' Tara nodded, knowing that Penelope was right. They after all had made a promise at the beginning of their relationship to not lie, or keep secrets from each other. And she shouldn't be hiding her emotions from her girlfriend anyways, that's never a good foundation for a relationship.

''Good'' Penelope said, her voice now softer, ''Are you feeling better now?'' she asked.

''Yeah, I'm feeling better'' Tara replied softly, her stomach feeling lighter, as she felt the anger slowly seep away from her body, ''How about you? How are you feeling? Because I know this wasn't just nothing to you, too''.

''I'm fine'' Penelope replied curtly, something she wasn't used to from the blonde.

''You know how you told me you could see through my lies, like a second ago'' Tara said, reminding her lover of what she just told her, herself, ''Well, I can see right through your lies too'' she told her, ''So...honestly...how are you doing?''.

Penelope bit her lip, not knowing how to express how she was feeling at the moment, because there weren't any words she could think of that could describe the way she felt inside, ''I don't know'' she said with a small shrug, ''I can't help but feel guilty''.

''Sweetheart, you realize that, that was nowhere near your fault, right?'' Tara said softly.

''But that's the thing, it _is_ my fault'' Garcia said, her eyes starting to water, as she thought back to what she could've done differently, which might could've saved Lucy, ''If I had widened my search from the beginning, and thought about using the right parameters from the start, I might would've been able to pin point the Unsub's location. And that little girl might've still been alive''.

''Do you hear yourself?'' Tara told Penelope, after the blonde was done venting her frustrations, ''Yes, perhaps if you did that from the start we might've had a bigger chance, but like you said, _might've_ '' she said, ''But you couldn't have known that, because killers don't play by our rules, they play by their own, just like us. So _please_ , don't beat yourself up over this, you know it won't do you any good. We were wrong, yes, but that was nowhere near your fault, you understand''.

''I do understand. I really do'' Penelope said, ''But it still got an eight year old killed'' she choked out.

''It did'' Tara bowed her head in sorrow, feeling bad for not being there to comfort Penelope properly, and to wipe away the tears she knew were trickling down her cheeks, ''But we're trying our best, and that's all we can do''.

''I know'' Garcia said, wiping her tears away, ''It really sucks that you're all the way in San Francisco'' the blonde sniffled, ''I miss you like crazy''.

''I miss you, too'' Tara told her, her heart yearning to be back home again too, ''Hopefully we'll be back soon'' she said.

''I hope so, too'' Penelope said, ''Because I miss our late night cuddles in bed'' she pouted.

''Me too'' Tara's lips turned up into a tender smile, missing the same thing too, ''I promise you, that when I get home, I'm going to hold you until you literally have to push me off of you. How does that sound?''.

''That sounds like a really good idea'' Penelope said, a smile forming on her lips, ''Though you have to consider that I might never let you go''.

''I don't expect anything less'' Tara said with a laugh, ''How did you actually know that I needed you?'' Tara asked.

''Emily'' Penelope stated, ''She told me that you kinda lost it, and that I should probably call you because you needed me''.

''I should've known'' Tara chuckled, ''I'm glad she told you, though'' she said, as she made a mental note to thank her friend for that.

''Yeah, me too'' Penelope told her, ''But Love bug, I have to go now'' she said, as her eyes caught the time on her computer.

''I know, me too'' Tara sighed, feeling reluctant to hang up, but knowing she didn't have any other choice, ''I'll call you tonight, okay''.

''I'm already looking forward to it'' Penelope smiled, ''I love you''.

''I love you too, Peaches'' Tara replied softly before hanging up.

After they hung up Tara let out a happy sigh, feeling much better now that Penelope had called her, and comforted her. But that happy feeling soon fade away, when she realized that she had to go back inside again. Something she was dreading, but she knew she couldn't avoid. So gathering herself the best she could, she put her phone back into her pocket, and eventually made her way back into the house again. Ready to find the evil jerk that made her end up out there in the first place.

''Hey, you all right again?'' Reid asked, when he saw Tara walk into the house again, her outburst having worried him quite a bit.

''Yeah, I'm all right'' Tara said, giving them the best smile she could muster at the moment.

''That's good to hear'' Emily said softly.

''Yeah, and thank you for...you know'' Tara said appreciative.

''Always'' Emily replied with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

The search for the Unsub had lasted much longer than they had expected, especially after that phone call, but _finally_ after four more torturous days of searching, Garcia got the call that they had caught him. And to her surprise it was JJ calling her instead of Tara, like she had become used to.

''Good afternoon, my beautiful blue-eyed blonde'' Garcia chirped through the receiver of the phone.

''Hey, Pen'' JJ tiredly replied, the long days having caught up with her, ''I'm just calling to tell that we caught Jason Henderson, he's been taken into custody''.

''Oh, thank God'' Penelope exhaled, as she instantly felt relieve wash over her body, ''I was starting to think we might never catch him''.

''Yeah, me too'' JJ said, feeling just as relieved as her friend that they had caught the Unsub, ''The bastard had already abducted another little girl'' she scoffed, ''Luckily we were on time though, and she's been reunited with her parents again''.

''That's good, that's super good'' Garcia said, happy that they at least saved one person from the wrath of the Unsub, ''How are all my babies doing?'' she asked, knowing that this case took a lot from all of them, ''No one got hurt, right?''.

''Uhh...not exactly'' JJ answered cautiously, knowing the the blonde took one of them being hurt not too well.

''Jayje...what happened?'' Penelope anxiously asked, a bad feeling starting to form in the pit of her stomach.

''Something _kinda_ went wrong when we tried to arrest the Unsub'' JJ told her, ''He wouldn't cooperate and that eventually led to one of us getting hurt''.

''Who's been hurt'' Penelope urged her to tell her.

''Tara'' JJ stated with a sigh, ''We were trying to talk the Unsub down, and we were literally trying everything we could to calmly arrest the guy, but he wouldn't listen. He started ranting, and taunting us, before he out of nowhere made an unexpected move. A move that made Tara lunge at him to stop him, but in the process of overpowering him she got stabbed in her side''.

Garcia's heart stopped the moment she heard 'Tara' and 'Stabbed' in the same sentence, while her mind had a hard time registering what her friend just told her. Tara had been stabbed, her _girlfriend_ had been stabbed. She had jumped the Unsub and in the process gotten herself hurt. Her whole body filled with fear and worry, as the words repeated themselves in her head, ''H-how could that have happened? You guys wear bulletproof vests, those are supposed to protect you from getting stabbed there too, right?''.

''They're supposed to'' JJ nodded, ''But he caught her just under her vest'' she told her, ''She's fine though'' she assured the blonde, ''We're in the hospital now, and they told us that the knife only grazed her side, so all she needs is some stitches, which they're busy fixing now''.

''Thank God'' Penelope breathed out, as she swallowed past the heavy lump in her throat, while wiping away the few tears that had escaped her eyes.

''Are you all right?'' JJ asked concerned, having heard the tears in her friend's voice.

''Yeah...yeah, I'm fine'' Penelope replied, ''I'ts just...I don't like hearing about you guys being hurt, that's all'' she lied. Though it wasn't a complete lie, because she _did_ hate getting those calls about one of them being hurt or in trouble.

''I know you don't'' JJ said softly, ''But we're fine'' she reassured the blonde, ''And we're probably home again by tonight''.

''Okay'' Penelope nodded, ''Just call me when you guys have landed, okay'' she said, ''Because I want to see for myself that you're all alright''.

''I will'' JJ promised, ''By the way, if you want, you can ask Tara right now how she's feeling'' she said, as she saw Hotch, followed by an uncomfortable looking Tara, walking up to her and the rest of the team.

''Uhh...that's not necessary, I'll see you guys tonight anyway, I can ask her then'' Penelope replied to her, confusing herself by saying this. She should be jumping on the opportunity to talk to her injured girlfriend, instead of wanting to avoid conversation with her, ''I'll talk to you later, okay'' Penelope said, ''Gotta get back to work now'' she added, before disconnecting the call.

JJ furrowed her brows as she took the phone away from her ear, looking at it confused. Penelope has never been this off with her, and she had definitely never cut her off on the phone before either.

''Something wrong with Garcia?'' Rossi questioned, having partially heard the conversation.

''I'm not sure'' JJ shook her head, as she locked her phone and put it away, while making a mental note to talk to Penelope once they were back, because something was definitely off.

* * *

Garcia was pacing the floor infront of the elevators agitatedly, as she waited for the team to arrive back home. They had called her twenty minutes ago that they had landed, so they should be here soon.

The rest of the afternoon had went by tragically slow after Penelope had gotten off the phone with JJ. And having had hours and hours of alone time to think, and overthink, everything JJ had said, really wasn't a good thing for her. It only made her feel more indifferent about Tara's actions. Eventually even to the point that whenever Tara called her, she let it go straight to voicemail, feeling too worried, hurt, and angry to talk to her.

JJ's call definitely messed up her mind, as the words kept repeating themselves on a loop in her head. After a while only repeating the first part. Which was the reason why her worry had started to mix with her anger and hurt. She couldn't get over the fact that Tara had jumped the Unsub. She just freaking _jumped_ the Unsub, and probably even without thinking about the consequences. And she knew it was their job to catch these bad guys, she _knew_ that, but to willingly jump an Unsub was definitely not in the job description, and it made her furious.

Deep down she knew she wasn't thinking rationally, that she wasn't thinking straight, because she should know that her girlfriend would never do something like that unless it was absolutely necessary. But that's the thing, she wans't thinking rationally, she wasn't thinking straight, she was blinded and driven by her anger and hurt, as she could only think about how careless Tara had acted. And it made her want to scream at her _so_ badly, and it made her want tell her how stupid she was for doing what she did. Because what if she had gotten more seriously injured, what if he had stabbed her to death. But the other half of her, the half that loved her girlfriend uncondiotionally, wanted to grab her, hold her, and never let go of her _ever_ again. Because that part of her was scared that next time she wouldn't be so lucky to have her girlfriend come home to her _alive_ after such a stunt.

Eventually the ping of the elevator arriving at their floor shook Penelope out of her thoughts, the sound making her head shot up, as she watched the doors slide open. One by one the team filed out of the small space, and eventually Tara came into view, looking worse for wear.

''Penelope'' Tara tiredly smiled at the blonde, as she walked up to her, while holding her side gently.

''No'' Garcia shook her head, ''Don't Penelope me'' she said, looking furiously up at her, ''Are you freaking crazy or something?'' she said, apparently having subconsciously chosen to act on her anger instead of her worry.

''What are you talking about?'' Tara instantly stopped in her tracks, taken back by the tone in her girlfriend's voice.

''Are you serious'' Garcia said incredulously, ''I'm talking about you jumping a highly dangerous Unsub''.

Tara, who now realized why Penelope acted like this, sighed, ''Can we not talk about that now, Garcia'' she said, as she walked further, not being in the mood at all for this.

The brunette walked through the glass-doors of the BAU department, which was held open by Prentiss, with Penelope following her hot on her heels.

''No, we're going to talk about it now'' Penelope said sharply, as they came to a halt at Tara's desk.

''Penelope, I'm tired, I'm hurt, so can we _please_ discuss this later'' Tara pleaded with her lover to let it go for now.

''No'' Penelope shook her head, not wanting to let it go yet, ''You do realize that you could've been killed, right?''.

''I could've, but I wasn't'' Tara said, as she started unpacking her go-bag.

''Are you really serious now'' Penelope said incredulously, ''You're insane, you know that'' Penelope added, letting out a humorless laugh at the nonchalant behavior of the woman, ''Did you even think _once_ about me before you did what you did? Did you even think _at all_ before you willingly jumped the Unsub? Because, to me, it sounded like you didn't. To me, it sounded like you risked your freaking life, just so you could arrest the bastard that has been taunting you. No matter the consequences'' she yelled, shocking everyone, including herself, by the harshness of her outburst.

A lot of heads were already turned to them from the moment they entered the bullpen, but it wasn't until they saw the conversation between the two co-workers escalate that they stopped everything they were doing and started watching them, as they all wondered what was going on.

Tara stopped everything she was doing, irritation boiling up to the surface at Penelope's uncalled for screaming, ''You know what'' Tara started, as she dropped everything she had in her hands on her desk, before turning around to face the blonde, ''I actually did. That was actually _all_ I could think about. _You_ '' she said annoyance filling her voice, ''But I didn't just _willingly_ jump the Unsub. I didn't just risk my life so I could arrest that sadist and pedophile'' she told her, ''I did it because there was a little girl terrified for her life, who would've been stabbed to death, hadn't I done what I've done''.

''Wait...what?'' Penelope's face immediately fell, instantly regretting her outburst now.

''Yeah, that's what I thought'' Tara scoffed, as she turned back to what she was doing.

Everyone having witnessed the fight exchanged looks with each other, all of them wondering what the hell was going on, and JJ was eventually the one taking the initiative to try and shush the fight, realizing that both women probably hadn't noticed the audience they had gained.

''Garcia'' JJ said softly, as she put a hand on her shoulder, ''You don't have to be so hard on Tara, she was only doing her job'' she told her, ''She actually saved a little girl's life by doing what she did. Think about that''.

''I can't'' Garcia told her stubbornly, not wanting to admit that she had unnecessarily overreacted, ''What if she _was_ seriously injured. What if you guys had to call me and tell me that she had ended up in the hospital with major injuries, instead of a few grazes'' she said, ''Or worse, what if you had to call me to tell me that the Unsub had killed her, that's my freaking _girlfriend_ , I don't want her to end up like that and hear about it through a freaking phone-call'' she vented all the pent up emotions she had held inside for the past hours. Suddenly realizing that it wasn't necessarily Tara jumping the Unsub, but the thought of losing her, that made her react like this.

'' _Girlfriend?_ '' Rossi furrowed his brows. He had stopped halfway to his office, when he noticed the conversation between the two women turn into a fight, but he would've never guessed that the fight would reveal something like that.

''Penelope!'' Tara quickly turned her head around to glare at her girlfriend.

''I- I'm sorry...'' Penelope looked up at the woman with wide eyes, her own mouth hanging open, as she couldn't believe herself that she had let that slip out in the heat of her rant.

''Forget it'' Tara shook her head, ''I'm too tired for this'' she said, as she picked up her bag, wincing at the rush of pain the movement inflicted on her wound, before making her way out of the bullpen.

''Tara! Tara, wait...'' Penelope called out after her girlfriend, as she tried to catch up with the woman, but even injured the brunette was faster than her, ''I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mea-''.

''Don't'' Tara cut off Penelope, as she turned around, ''Just don't''.

''But I-'' Penelope wanted to say more, but again, she was cut off.

''But nothing'' Tara shook her head, ''I've been through _too_ much today, and I just want to go home, _alone_. That's what I need right now, and that's what I'm going to do, okay'' she said, hoping her girlfriend understood her reasons, and let her go, ''I'll call you''.

Penelope, who didn't know what to say to that, just nodded her head, as silent tears made their way down her cheeks, as she watched her heart walk away from her. Feeling like she had been stabbed herself. Although a stabwound might feel less painful than this crucifying feeling of a broken heart.

The whole bullpen fell silent after Tara had made her exit, all worriedly watching their usual vibrant ray of sunshine, who was now a mess of tears.

''Are you okay...?'' Reid asked carefully from behind Garcia, the question making the blonde turn around.

''Yeah...I'm fine'' She replied, trying to give them a smile but failing, as she wiped the tears away, which told all of them that she was _far_ from fine.

''What _was_ that?'' Rossi questioned the blonde concerned, as he hated the broken look on her face.

''I...we...that was, uhm...'' Penelope trailed off. She wanted to explain it all, but she was too emotionally drained to get into it right now. ''That was nothing'' she eventually sighed, ''I'll see you guys later, okay'' she told them quietly, before quickly making her way out of the bullpen. The whole team watching the crushed woman leave their sight.

''What the _hell_ just happened?'' JJ turned to her fellow team-members, wondering if anyone else had a clue. Although, the intense worry she heard in Penelope's voice earlier on the phone, made sense now, ''Did you guys know?'' she asked all of them, which in return got her a round of shaking head's. None of them knowing anything about it.

Emily on the other hand looked dumbfounded around the bullpen at her colleague's, hadn't they really _not_ noticed anything. Hadn't they seen the lovesick stares, the sneaking around, and all the excuses they had made up everytime they _coincidentally_ came into work in their fancy get-up's at the same time. We're they really that blind to see right through that. But instead of saying anything, she kept her mouth shut. It was up to Penelope and Tara to explain all of it, not her.

* * *

Penelope had tried her hardest to give Tara the space she had asked for, the space that she needed at the moment, but she just couldn't stay away. She just couldn't sit at home, knowing what she had done, and wait for a call from her girlfriend. She knew she needed to respect Tara's boundaries, to respect her wishes, but they had to talk, she had to apologize for her uncalled for outraged behavior. And that's why at one in the morning, Garcia got out of her bed, not even thinking about changing her pajamas, and made her way over to her girlfriend's apartment.

Twenty minutes later, the blonde was silently unlocking Tara's frontdoor, quietly making her way inside, a pitch black hallway meeting her when she closed the door behind her. In the dark she quickly dumped her bag, shoes and jacket, before walking further into the apartment, noticing that all the other rooms were completely dark too. Which was to be expected, after all it was the middle of the night, so Tara was probably already in bed.

Eventually she got to the bedroom, and tried to open the door without making it creak, before making her way inside, right away noticing her girlfriend's silhouette under the covers of the bed. She also, right away, knew that the brunette was still awake, even though she had her eyes closed. She just could tell by the way Tara was breathing that she wasn't asleep yet.

''I know you're not sleeping'' Penelope said softly, as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Slowly, with a sigh, Tara opened her eyes and looked over into Penelope's direction, ''I thought I had told you to give me some space'' she said, as she scooted up a little in bed, wincing at the pain it caused in her side.

''I know you told me that'' Penelope said, ''But I just couldn't stay away, I couldn't go to sleep knowing we are fighting'' she told her, ''Also, you promised me that when you came home you would hold me until I pushed you off of me, and I'm here to collect your promise. No matter if you're angry at me or not''.

Though Garcia couldn't completely make out Tara's features in the dark, she knew that the brunette was thinking about what she just said, and eventually the blonde saw Tara relent and throw the duvet down, inviting her into the bed, ''This does _not_ mean that I'm not still angry at you anymore'' Tara told her, as the blonde crawled into the bed beside her, putting her head on the brunette's chest when she laid comfortably.

''I know'' Penelope nodded against Tara's shoulder, as she snaked an arm around Tara's waist, her fingers grazing the bandage covering Tara's wound, ''Does it hurt bad?'' she asked quietly, as she laid her hand just under the bandage, tracing the tender skin under it softly.

''Only when I move too fast, but besides that, it's bearable'' Tara answered, laying her own hand on top of Penelope's.

''Love bug, you don't always have to be so tough'' Penelope said, seeing through Tara's strong facade, ''You can tell me when you're hurt, or in pain''.

''The truth than'' Tara breathed out, ''It hurts like hell. No matter what I do''.

''I wish I could do something to lessen the pain for you'' Penelope murmured, as she drew lazy circles on the exposed skin on Tara's stomach, ''But all I can say is that I can relate. That I know the feeling'' she said, ''Not specifically the feeling of being stabbed, but I've been shot, so I know the intense feeling''.

''I know'' Tara said, as she started lazily stroking Penelope's back with her left hand.

''You know?'' Penelope questioningly frowned, looking up at Tara, ''How? I've never told you that story''.

''No you didn't'' Tara shook her head, ''But at the beginning of this year, on a case, we started talking about wounds and scars, and the team told me'' she said.

''Really? What else did they tell you about me, without me knowing'' Penelope asked, not having known that the team had discussed such things about her, without her being there.

''Gladly nothing else harmful'' Tara said, ''The Battle story shook me hard enough'' she told the blonde, sounding relieved, which Penelope could understand. Because if she had died back then, than they would've never met, ''I actually can not believe that someone would want to do something like that to you. That someone would feel the need to shoot you'' she said, ''And if that guy had actually accomplished killing you, that would've meant...'' she trailed off, not even being able to finish that sentence, as she didn't want to even think about what that would've meant, ''Do you know how close we came to not having met'' she told the blonde with a shaky voice, showing her that she was as equally scared of losing Penelope, as Penelope was of ever losing her.

''Hey, listen to me'' Penelope said softly, as she entwined their hands that laid on Tara's stomach, ''Yes, we came close to having never met, but the stars aligned and we did, and now we're here, _together_ '' she told her, ''And we'll always be together, I promise, because I never plan on leaving you. _Never_ ''.

''You really promise me that?'' Tara asked, ''Because that's a really big promise to make'' she said, as she pulled the blonde a little bit closer and a little bit tighter.

''I know'' Penelope said with a nod, ''But I really promise you that'' she told her, her voice filled with emotion and devotion, as she felt like that this was a moment that solidified their relationship even more than it already was, ''And I will do anything to keep that promise'' she added, assuring the woman that nothing could keep her away from her.

''Good'' Tara said, her voice thick with build up emotion.

''Can you now understand why I reacted the way that I did?'' Penelope questioned gently, not wanting to start their fight again, but hoping Tara would understand her behavior now, after she has admitted to being just as afraid of losing Penelope, as Penelope is of losing her. She knew it didn't excuse her complete outburst, but it did make it more understandable, ''Do you now understand why I was so angry about you getting unnecessarily hurt?''.

''I do'' Tara replied, because she really _did_ understand now where the blonde came from, ''But the thing is, I didn't get hurt unnecessarily, like you put it'' she said, ''I got hurt because I was trying to safe a little girl's life, a life she would've lost if I hadn't done what I did''.

''I know, I know'' Penelope said, ''And I'm really, _really_ sorry'' she added, ''I just didn't think about the circumstances. I just heard JJ tell me that you jumped the Unsub and had gotten hurt, and all my mind registered was you getting hurt because you jumped the Unsub, and it made me _so_ angry that you would act so reckless''.

''You do know that I would've never done that, had the little girl not been there, right?'' Tara said pointedly, making sure her girlfriend understood that she would never risk her life like that for nothing.

''I do know that now'' Penelope said, ''I also understand why you're mad at me'' she told her, ''Because look at the way I reacted to you infront of everybody else, how I assumed things and didn't listen first, which led me to exposing us'' she said, ''Something I'm really sorry about, too. Something I can understand if you're mad about that, too''.

''Babe, I'm not mad at you for telling everyone about us. They would've eventually found out, anyway'' Tara told her, assuring her that, that's not the issue, ''What I'm mad about is that you made me feel bad about trying to safe a life. That you made me feel bad about doing my job and trying to get a little girl out of there unharmed''.

''I never meant to make you feel that way'' Penelope said, feeling awful herself now for making her girlfriend feel like that, even when it was unintentionally.

''I know you didn't'' Tara said, knowing the blonde would never do something like that if she could help it.

''It's just...I'm just _so_ afraid whenever I get a call like that. I'm so afraid of losing someone close to me, especially you'' Penelope said, tears stinging her eyes.

''You won't lose me'' Tara told her, ''I will never do anything to let that happen. I will never do anything that makes me leave you, okay'' she said, ''I promise'' she added, a yawn escaping her mouth at the end of that sentence, as she promised the blonde the same thing as she had promised her.

''Good'' Penelope replied softly, as her eyes caught the alarm-clock on the bedside-table, seeing that it was already nearing three a.m., ''Get some sleep, honey'' she said to her girlfriend, ''It's been a long day and you need it'' she told her, ''We can always talk about this further in the morning if needed''.

''Sleep does sound amazing'' Tara agreed.

''Yeah, thought so too'' Penelope replied, as she leaned up to give her girlfriend a goodnight kiss, ''Goodnight, love'' she said, as she laid back down and curled up beside the brunette again.

''Goodnight'' Tara replied softly, ''I love you'' she added. Even though she was still mad at Penelope, her love for the blonde will always go beyond every other emotion she felt for her.

''I love you, too'' Penelope told her.

''I love you more'' Tara said, a faint smile painting her lips, as she closed her eyes.

''I love you more, more'' Penelope said with a sleepy chuckle, as she snuggled closer against Tara and pulled the duvet over them.

''And I love you to infinity and back'' Tara whispered into the dark, before the calmness now between them soothed them both to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

The next morning Penelope woke up in a panic when she realized she had overslept, being at least two hours late for work. She quickly untangled herself from Tara and sat up in bed, immediately feeling around on the bedside-table for her phone, so she could call her boss and tell him that she was coming later, but she found nothing there except for her glasses, which she picked up and put on. Now having clear vision, she took another look at the bedside-table, but her phone still wasn't there, and that's when she realized that she had left it in her purse in the hallway.

With a sigh, Penelope got out of bed and made her way out of the bedroom. In the hallway she picked up her bag from the ground and took her phone out, pushing the button to turn it on, right away seeing on her lockscreen that she already had seven missed calls from Hotch, among a few other calls and messages from the rest of the team. The rest of the team probably only calling and texting her because of what happened yesterday, so she ignored those notifications. She thought about calling Hotch back and tell him that she had overslept, but instead she decided to get back to the bedroom again, so she could get ready for work, so she could leave as soon as possible.

''Babe, what's wrong?'' Tara groggily asked, when she saw Penelope walk back into the bedroom again, the brunette having been woken up a couple minutes ago by Garcia leaving the bed.

''What's wrong is that I'm late'' Penelope told her, as she laid her phone down on the dresser and started gathering her stuff together, ''Well, actually we are both late, but I don't think you should go in'' the blonde said.

''Why not?'' Tara frowned, as she sat up, her side now aching because of the painkillers that had worked out over night.

''Are you serious?'' Penelope stopped what she was doing and turned to her girlfriend with a raised eyebrow, seeing the brunette move uncomfortably around on the bed, ''Look at how you're wincing by just sitting up, you're not going to be able to help the team much like that'' she said, ''So I'm telling you, you're not going. You're going to stay home and get better first''.

''You do understand that I'm a full grown woman, right? And that I can decide for myself'' Tara said, ''And I'm telling you, I'm good to go''.

''No, you're not'' Garcia shook her head, knowing the brunette was acting tougher than she felt, ''Sweetheart, you were stabbed. You've got stitches'' Penelope said, ''You need to stay home at least until it's healed enough'' she told her, ''The team will understand, and probably actually agree with me''.

''All right'' Tara sighed, not liking the idea of sitting at home, but knowing the blonde was right, ''What am I supposed to do all day, though?'' Tara said, ''Because you'll be gone the whole day, and I won't be able to do much because of this'' she pointed to her stitched up stabwound, ''And there are only so many dvd's, channels, and books I can watch and read before I get bored''.

''You'll have to figure that out for yourself, Chocolate Angel'' Penelope said, as she got back to what she was doing, being reminded by the alarm-clock on the bedside-table that she needed to hurry, ''By the way, do you know where I put my hairbrush?'' Penelope asked, knowing she had two brushes, one here and one at her apartment, ''I can't seem to find it anywhere'' she said, having searched through every drawer but coming up empty. She had taken so much stuff to Tara's place in the last months, but at the same time taken a lot of it back again to her own place, that it was a complete mess as to know where she left what.

''If it's here, it has to be in the bathroom'' Tara told her, ''That's where you left it last'' she said, as she slowly got out of bed, and followed Penelope into the bathroom.

''Yes, here it is!'' Garcia chirped, as she picked it up from the side of the sink.

The blonde started brushing her hair, being careful not to brush out her curls, when she felt Tara come up behind her, her arms circling around her waist, ''Is there _any_ way I can convince you to let me go to work'' Tara said, as she rested her head on Penelope's shoulder, looking into the blonde's eyes through the mirror.

''You're not going to stop trying, are you?'' Penelope's hand stilled, as she looked back at the brunette through the mirror.

''No, not really'' Tara replied with a shake of her head, ''It's or letting me go to work, or...'' she trailed off, as she thought about something she could add to that, ''Or you're staying home with me'' she said with a smile.

Penelope sighed, a soft smile curling at the corners of her lips, ''No matter how good that sounds, and no matter how much I would love to just stay home with you and laze around all day, I can't''.

''Why not?'' Tara shrugged, which did nothing good for her side, but she ignored it, because she was too busy trying to convince her girlfriend to stay at home with her now.

''Because it's a little short notice, isn't it'' Garcia said, as she went back to brushing her hair again.

''Maybe, but you could always take a couple of your vacation days'' Tara said, ''You know you've got a lot of those left'' she added, ''And I'm sure Hotch will understand the short notice'' she told her, ''I don't think he'll mind it that much''.

''Love bug'' Penelope sighed, as she turned around in Tara's arms, making the brunette let go of her, ''They'll think it would be on purpose, me suddenly taken some vacation days, because of yesterday'' Penelope said, ''Which, by the way, I'm still very sorry for'' she said, as she still felt extremely bad about it.

''Darling'' Tara said, as she took a hold on Penelope's chin, making the blonde look directly at her, ''We had a misscommunication, which led to a fight, which any normal couple has once in a while'' she told her, ''So _yes_ , you did say things in the heat of the moment, which you hurt me with, but I'm mature enough to be able to get over that, because I will always love you _way_ more than anything else''.

''I love you more than anything else, too'' Penelope replied softly, feeling relieved that they were fine again, because she hated figthing with her girlfriend. ''What are we going to do about the team, though? Now that they know'' the blonde said, as she leaned against the sink.

''I don't think there is anything that we _can_ do'' Tara said, ''They know now, and it's up to them to decide if they'll accept us or not'' she told her, ''And if they don't...well...so be it'' she said with a shrug, ''Though I got a feeling that we shouldn't be too worried about them. They love us, and they'll probably be happy for us, especially when they see that we're happy together''.

''Yeah, you're probably right'' Garcia nodded, ''But what about the bureau regulations?'' she said, being a bit worried about that, scared that the bureau might come for them, ''It's just a matter of time before the Director finds out, and there are still fraternization rules in the bureau''.

''We'll figure it out when that happens'' Tara told her with a soft smile, ''So don't go worry your gorgeous head over that, okay'' she said, ''Maybe they won't even mind, and just let it all be''.

''Yeah...hopefully'' Penelope said, ''I really have to go to work now, though'' she sighed, ''This isn't even fabulously late anymore, it has become outrageously late'' she said, as she laid her brush down on the sink, being done with it.

''Well, you could always do what I suggested'' Tara said, ''And take those vacation days''.

''It's possible'' Penelope said, as she let the idea mull around in her head for a bit, ''It's still short notice, though''.

''It is'' Tara agreed, ''But like I said, Hotch probably won't mind it that much'' she told her, ''And besides, they can survive a few days without us''.

''Without _you_ , yes. Without _me_ , not so much'' Penelope teased, a smirk forming on her lips.

''You just wait until I'm all healed up again'' Tara narrowed her eyes at the blonde, ''I will get you back for _all_ the teasing, you just wait and see, because it'll happen'' she said.

''You keep threatening me, but you never follow up on it'' Penelope cocked her head, ''What's up with that?'' she questioned with a raised eyebrow, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

''You think you're _so_ funny, don't you?'' Tara said, as she took a step forward, trapping Penelope between her body and the sink.

''Actually...I think I'm more than just _that_ '' Penelope said, ''I actually think I'm _hilarious_ '' she told her with a grin.

''You're a crazy woman sometimes, you know that'' Tara chuckled, as she leaned a bit closer to Penelope, though not yet close enough to completely close the distance between them.

''Maybe'' Penelope shrugged, ''But I'm _your_ crazy woman'' she said, her voice a little lower now, as her eyes dropped to Tara's lips.

''Yeah...that you are'' Tara whispered, as she pressed her lips against Penelope's for a quick soft kiss, before pulling away again, ''Come on'' Tara said, letting go of Penelope, ''Lets get you to work''.

''Wait...now you suddenly want me to go to work?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, as the pair walked out of the bathroom and in to the bedroom again.

''No, but like you said it's short notice'' Tara told her.

''Yes, but like _you_ said, they will survive without us for a couple of days'' Penelope said, as she went over to the dresser to pick up her phone.

''What are you doing?'' Tara questioned.

''Calling Hotch'' Penelope replied, as she dialed the number, before putting the phone to her ear and waiting for her boss to pick up on the other end.

''Hotchner'' Hotch's stern voice came through the receiver after the fourth ring.

''Goodmorning, Sir'' Penelope greeted him.

''Garcia, goodmorning'' Hotch replied, his voice being more gentle now.

''Sir, I know you have called me a bunch of times, probably wondering where I am, but I overslept'' Garcia said, explaining the reason why she wasn't at the BAU yet.

''It's okay, Garcia'' Hotch said, ''That can happen to any one of use'' he told her, ''Will you be here soon, though?''.

''Actually...I was wondering if I could take some days off, instead of coming into work'' Penelope replied to the man, ''I know it's short notice and everything, but I kinda need it right now'' she told him.

''It is short notice'' Hotch said, ''But...I don't see why not'' he told her, ''We haven't caught a new case yet, and the department has been very slow today, so take all the days you need''.

''Thank you so much, Sir'' Penelope's lips turned up into a smile, ''And I won't need more than this week, I promise'' she said.

''Okay'' Hotch nodded, as he wrote down the number of vacation days he needed to file for the tech, ''I'll see you _and_ Lewis next monday than'' he said.

''Yes, next monday, we'll be there'' Penelope told him with a nod of her head, before saying goodbye and hanging up, ''Well...it looks like we've got the whole week to ourselves'' Penelope said with a smile, as she looked up to Tara.

''Great'' Tara smiled back.

* * *

A couple of hours later, after having enjoyed breakfast together and a long hot shower, both were searching for clothes to get dressed in again, but Penelope was having a hard time finding any clean ones. When she started sleeping over at Tara's apartment, Tara had set up a drawer for her, which in time became two, but she hadn't thought about putting any new clean clothes in there since the last time she slept over. So now she was left with only dirty clothes, because Tara barely ever had time to do the laundry. And because she had left her own apartment in the middle of the night, she never thought about bringing anything with her, either.

''It looks like I have to go home for a bit'' Penelope told her girlfriend, as she rummaged through her stuff in the drawer, ''Because there's only one clean shirt in here, and if I'm staying the week, I definitely need to get some clean clothes and some other stuff''.

''You could always walk around naked'' Tara teased, ''You know I won't mind'' she said.

''Yeah, I know'' Penelope chuckled, knowing her girlfriend much rather saw her naked than in clothes, ''But I _do_ mind'' Penelope said, as she put on the one clean shirt she was able to find.

''That's a shame'' Tara said, as she pulled up her joggings pants, ''Because we could've had lots and _lots_ of fun with that'' she wiggled her eyebrows.

''Yeah, lots and lots of fun with you being injured'' Penelope said.

''I'm still capable of doing stuff'' Tara replied.

''With those stitches?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, ''Sweetie, you were barely able to normally sit up in bed this morning'' the blonde said, ''What do you think you are able to do sex-wise?''.

''Who said anything about me doing _anything_ '' Tara said, a smirk forming on her lips, ''There are lots of things we can do without me having to do _anything_ but lay back and use my mouth, if you know what I mean'' she winked.

''Oh, yeah...I _know_ what you mean'' Penelope said, a blush creeping into her cheeks, as she knew _exactly_ what her girlfriend meant, ''Which makes you a dirty, _dirty_ girl, Miss. Lewis'' the blonde chuckled.

''Only for you, my Darling'' Tara grinned.

''Crazy woman'' Penelope shook her head with a smile, ''But no matter _how_ much fun that sounds, I still need clothes'' Penelope said.

''I understand'' Tara replied, ''Though I thought you had some stuff in there'' the brunette said, as she nodded with her head to the drawer Penelope had just rummaged through.

''I have'' Penelope replied, as she picked up her pajama pants from the bed and put them on, not having any other choice but to wear those for now, ''But everything that was in there I have already worn, so it's all in the laundry basket in the bathroom now'' she said, ''Which, by the way, is starting to overflow'' she told her.

''Yeah, I know'' Tara sighed, knowing she needed to start keeping up with her laundry, ''Its just...work and life can be so demanding, that I sometimes forget to do things like that, because there is just no time'' the brunette said.

''I know'' Penelope said, having the same problem too sometimes, ''And I don't mind it, because we all sometimes forget things like that, but it just means that I have to go and get some stuff from my apartment today'' she told her, as she picked up her glasses from the bedside-table and put them on.

''All right, if you go do that'' Tara said, ''Than I will start on sorting the laundy and throw in the first load, yeah''.

''Yeah, okay, sounds good'' Penelope nodded, ''Just don't do anything that's too much for your wound, okay''.

''I won't'' Tara told her, ''Besides, it's just laundry, how much damage could that do to my stitches''.

''I'm just worried, okay'' Penelope said with a tender smile.

''I know you are'' Tara replied with a soft smile of her own, ''But I'll survive'' she said, ''So just go, and do what you need to do'' she told her, ''I'll be fine''.

''I'll make sure to be back as soon as possible, okay'' Penelope said, as she took her phone and made her way past Tara and out of the bedroom.

''Okay'' Tara said with a nod, as she followed Penelope.

''And if it takes too long, just try and get some sleep or something'' Penelope said, as they made their way through the apartment and to the hallway, ''I know the painkillers must be kicking in soon, so that'll make you sleepy'' she told her, as she put on her shoes before taking her jacket from the coatrack, ''And sleep is good for the healing process'' she stated matter of fact.

''I know'' Tara said softly, ''I'll first do the laundry, and after that I'll try to get some sleep again, okay''.

''Okay'' Penelope smiled, as she gave the brunette a kiss on her lips, ''I love you'' she said, as she pulled away.

''I love you, too'' Tara smiled, as she watched her girlfriend make her way out of the apartment, leaving her alone.

Tara let out a sigh as she looked around the hallway, the space already feeling much emptier now that she was alone again, and she didn't like it at all. She liked her apartment much more with the presence, and the touch, of her girlfriend there, which slowly made an idea start to form in her head.

* * *

An hour and a half later, after having done the laundry and trying to catch some sleep but failing, Tara sat behind her laptop on the couch scrolling through some sites. After Penelope had left, an idea had started to form in her head that she just couldn't let go of. An idea that they've talked about before, but haven't gone through with yet, and Tara thought it was about time they did something with it.

Just when she wrote down the last phone-number on a notepad, Tara heard the frontdoor open and close, and soon after Penelope walked into the livingroom with a bag hanging from her left shoulder.

''Couldn't sleep?'' Penelope said, as she dumped her bag beside the couch, before sitting down next to her girlfriend.

''No'' Tara shook her head, ''I tried, but I ended up just laying in bed with my eyes closed'' she told her, as she closed her laptop, before leaning over and giving Garcia a peck on her lips.

''What were you doing?'' Penelope asked, as she picked up the notepad, that was filled with names and numbers, from the top of Tara's laptop, ''What are these?'' she questioned.

''Well... _those_ are some realtors'' Tara answered, as she looked up at her girlfriend, who was still reading the note, and gauging her reaction.

''Realtors?'' Penelope looked up, frowning, ''Why do you need phone-numbers for realtors?''.

''Well, they can help us with finding our own house'' Tara told her.

''Our own house?'' Penelope replied, a small smile forming on her lips, as she got an idea of where this was going.

''Yes'' Tara nodded, ''You know how we've been complaining about having to go back and forth between our two places. How it's tiring and inconvenient for the both of us'' she said.

''Yeah, I know'' Penelope said.

''Well, it made me think of if we had our own place'' Tara said, picking up her laptop from her lap and putting it down of the coffeetable, before turning her body to fully face Penelope, ''It made me think that if we have our own place, we won't have to travel between two apartments anymore. We won't have to call or text each other about where we'll be sleeping each night anymore, either'' she told her, ''Also, all of our stuff would be in one place too, so no need to make any unnecessary trips, because you forgot something or didn't have any clean clothes'' she said, ''We'll just have a place for us, a place where we can explore everything further, and really begin our lives together''.

''Tara...'' Penelope said softly.

''Yes?'' Tara replied.

''Is this your way of asking me to move in with you?'' Penelope asked, not wanting to get too excited until she knew for sure.

''Yeah, it is'' Tara said with a nod.

''You sure about this?'' Garcia asked, looking directly into Tara's eyes.

''Of course, I am'' Tara told her, ''I wouldn't have searched for realtors if I wasn't'' she said.

''I know'' Penelope nodded, ''But I was just making sure, because it's a big step'' the blonde said.

''I know it is'' Tara replied, ''But trust me, I want this'' she smiled, which made Penelope smile too, ''So...now that you know I'm completely serious'' Tara said, ''Do you wanna move in with me?'' she asked, hope filling her eyes, as she anxiously waited for an answer.

''I would love to move in with you'' Penelope grinned, as she lunged forward to pull the brunette into a hug, the force of it making Tara moan out, ''Oh, I'm so sorry'' Penelope immediately pulled away, in all her excitement having forgotten about her girlfriend's injury.

''No, no, it's okay'' Tara breathed out, as she held her side gently. Even though the painkillers had kicked in again, the pain was still a little too intense, ''It's already less painful than yesterday'' she said.

Penelope looked doubtful at the pained expression on Tara's face, knowing the woman was acting stronger than she actually felt, ''You sure?'' Penelope questioned, ''Because it doesn't seem like it'' she said.

''Yeah, I'm sure'' Tara assured her, as she leaned back against the couch to make the pressure on the wound lessen, before turning her gaze to Penelope, a smile spreading on her lips, ''So were moving in together, húh'' she said.

''It sounds like we are, yeah'' Garcia replied, an excited smile returning on her lips, ''Though, how do we actually start this?'' Penelope questioned, ''Because I have never bought a house before''.

''Me neither'' Tara shook her head, ''But maybe we could start by compiling a list of the things that we want'' she suggested ''And after that we could check out those realtors. Find out what our options are'' she said.

''Okay, yeah, that sounds like a good plan'' Penelope agreed, as she picked up the pen, Tara had been using, from the coffeetable, ''So...what do we want?'' Penelope said, looking up to Tara, as they started discussing and making up a list of everything they wanted.

* * *

After making a list, and calling four out of the five realtors Tara had found, they found one that had great options for them, that weren't too expensive either. And after checking the links that were send to them, with possible options, they made an appointment for a few days later to check out the three houses they had a chance on.

Both women felt extremely excited about this next step in their relationship, about this new commitment between them. Though they also felt some nerves too, about buying an house together, because it _was_ a huge commitment, it _was_ a huge step. But, in the end, it was a commitment both of them were more than willingly to make. Because, despite of their nerves, they were certain that this was it, and that was enough for them to fully dive into this next part of their relationship.

''It's nice'' Penelope commented, as they walked through the first house, looking from room to room.

''You think?'' Tara said, not sure if she agreed with the woman.

''If you can imagine it done, it would be nice'' Penelope told her, ''What am I saying'' she sighed, as she turned around, ''I don't like this house, _at all_ ''.

''You and me both, sweetheart'' Tara chuckled, as she for a second thought they had lost their touch of being on the same page with things.

''There's just _so_ much that needs to be done'' Penelope said, ''I'm afraid we won't have any money left by the time we're done''.

''I thought the same thing'' Tara said, ''Also, we don't really have the time to completely renovate the place''.

''No, we really don't'' Penelope agreed, knowing that their schedules were too hectic to start on a project like this house, ''And not only that, but have you seen the garden'' the blonde said, ''It's literally just a patch of grass and some concrete''.

''Yeah, I noticed'' Tara replied, ''We definitely need something bigger than that'' she said, ''Also, we need a garage'' she added, having noticed that the house didn't have that either.

''Obviously'' Penelope nodded her head, ''We can't leave our babies out in the open'' she said, referring to their cars.

''No, we can't'' Tara said, ''So...this house won't be it?'' she questioned the blonde.

''No, definitely not'' Penelope shook her head.

''All right, lets tell the realtor that we want to see the next house, than'' Tara said, as the pair left the room they were in, and went looking for the guy.

After having seen the second house, which was even worse than the first one, both women had huge doubts that they would find their dream home today. The realtor had tried his best to make the houses sound, and look, as appealing as possible for the couple, but so far he had failed to make them consider one. But, he was still optimistic, especially when they approached the last house, which was a house that wasn't the cheapest on the list, but it was the house that hopefully would make the two women cave. After all, he saved the best for last.

''All right, ladies, this is the last house I have for you'' Steve, the realtor, said as he let them through the frontdoor of the house. It already looking and feeling much more like a home, than the other two, when they stepped into the hallway.

''This is nice'' Penelope said, as they walked through the hallway to the livingroom, her eyes picking up a few small details that already pleased her.

''You said the same thing about the first house'' Tara chuckled, though she had to agree, this was nice.

''I know, I know'' Penelope nodded, ''But this time I actually mean it'' Garcia told her, as she brushed her fingers across the mantle of the fireplace, which was a piece of the house both women seemed to have fallen in love with at first glance, ''Steve, can you tell us a bit about the house?'' Penelope asked, wanting to know more about what they might consider buying.

''Yes, of course'' Steve replied with a smile, glad to see that the couple seemed to already like the house, ''This house was build in 1987'' he started, ''Upstairs, it has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a balcony that's attached to the master bedroom'' he said, ''Downstairs, you've got the livingroom, a kitchen that has been renewed not even two years ago that includes a dining area, an half bathroom, and an extra room that you can use as an office or an extra bedroom or something else...'' he told them, ''And, last but not least, there is of course a garden behind the house''.

''There's a garage too, right?'' Tara questioned, having noticed the space attached to the house before they walked in.

''Yes'' Steve nodded, ''Which you can enter through the door in the hallway and, of course, from the outside'' he told them, ''Do you want to see upstairs now?'' he asked the couple, as he pointed with his finger to the ceiling.

''Yes, please'' Penelope said.

''Follow me than'' he smiled.

When they had seen upstairs, and after that the rest of the house including the garden, the realtor had left them alone for a bit so they could look around the house themselves. Taking an extra glance in every room and part of the house.

''It's beautiful'' Penelope said, as she leaned against the railing of the balcony. They had been going from room to room, checking everything out for a second time, and had eventually ended up on the balcony of the master bedroom, looking out over the garden below them.

''This house seems to have everything we want, doesn't it'' Tara said, as she leaned against the railing beside her girlfriend.

''It does'' Penelope nodded.

''How nice would it be to have romantic evenings up here'' Tara said, a soft smile painting her lips.

''Really nice'' Penelope replied, ''I can definitely see us do that'' she smiled, as she looked at the view they had over the garden from here, ''I really think we should take it'' Penelope said, turning her gaze from the garden to her girlfriend.

''Really? Are you sure?'' Tara asked, as she turned her head to look at Penelope.

''One hundred percent'' Penelope told her, ''Like you said, it seems to have everything we want, everything that we need'' she said, ''Also, it's close to work, so what more do we need to ask for''.

''Absolutely nothing'' Tara smiled.

''Exactly'' Garcia smiled back, holding the brunette's gaze, ''God, I love you'' she sighed happily, as she got completely absorbed by the love between them.

''I love you, too'' Tara's smile turned into a grin, still feeling intense butterflies whenever the blonde uttered those words.

''Life can't get any better than this, can it?'' Penelope said, as she turned her head again to look at the view.

''No, it definitely can't'' Tara shook her head, happiness radiating through her whole body. She still thanked her lucky stars, each day, for giving her such an incredible woman to love and cherish, and who loved and cherished her the same way back.

''Come on'' Penelope said, pushing herself off of the railing, standing up straight again, ''Lets tell Steve that we want to make an offer''.

''Sounds good'' Tara said, as she took one last glance at the view she hoped will soon be theirs to keep.

The two women quickly made their way back downstairs again, and met up with Steve in the livingroom.

''Everything all right, ladies?'' he asked them, when he saw them walk into the room.

''Yes, everything is great'' Tara told him, as she pulled her girlfriend closer to her by her waist.

''So...what do you think?'' Steve questioned, gesturing with his hand around the house.

''We think it's amazing'' Penelope told him, as she shared a glance with Tara, ''It's actually everything that we want''.

''That sounds good'' Steve said.

''Yes, and that's why we would like to make an offer'' Tara said.

''That's really good to hear'' Steve smiled, happy that he could convince them to consider at least one of the houses, ''What offer would you like to make?'' he asked them.

''$224,000'' Penelope replied, the couple knowing that, that's a reasonable price for the owners to consider, and a reasonable price for them that they could afford.

''Okay, I'm going to make the call than, and see if they take it'' Steve told them, ''Excuse me for a minute'' he said, as he took his phone out and walked away.

''Do you think they're going to take it?'' Tara asked, as she looked down at Penelope.

''I hope'' Penelope said, ''It's only $3,000 under the asking price, so I got a feeling that we've got a chance'' she told the brunette.

The pair had to wait a total of ten minutes before the realtor walked back into the room again, walking up to them with a smile on his face, which made them feel optimistic about their chances.

''I've discussed it all, and they said that if you make it $224,500, it's yours'' Steve told them the good news.

''Are you serious?'' Penelope's face broke out into a wide smile, instantly looking up to her girlfriend to see her reaction.

''One hundred percent'' Steve nodded, ''So...what's it going to be?''.

''We'll take it'' Tara said with a grin.

''All right, I'm going to immediately call them back than, and tell them that the house is sold'' Steve said, leaving the happy couple again to make the call.

''Can you believe it?'' Penelope said, as she circled her arms around Tara's waist, ''We just _bought_ a house''.

''It sounds like music to my ears'' Tara chuckled, feeling ecstatic.

''It does, doesn't it'' Penelope giggled, feeling just as excited as the brunette.

''I really can't wait to start our future here'' Tara said softly, as she looked around the livingroom, already being able to picture their lives together in this place.

''Me neither'' Penelope sighed happily, as she felt the exact same way.

* * *

 **A/n: I don't know exactly how the house market is in D.C. is, so I kinda made up a price I thought came close to the real thing. I hope you enjoyed it, and I see you all with a new update again!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

After signing all the papers and paying the deposit for the house, which did a number on their savings, they still needed to wait another three to four weeks before they could move in, because of a few things the realtor needed to finish up with the previous owners first. They didn't mind it though, because in that time they could figure out their leases' on their apartments, they could figure out what they wanted to keep and what they wanted throw out, and they could start figuring out what they wanted their house to look like. What kind of colors, what kind of style, what kind of interior and things like that.

And before they knew it Monday rolled around again, and work was calling for them, including their friends who were still wondering what had happened a week ago. It wasn't their intention to avoid the team, it really wasn't, but in the end that was exactly what they did. They just didn't want to explain everything over the phone, they wanted to tell them face to face, and tell them all at the same time. And that's how they ended up at Tara's desk with the whole team, minus Hotch, surrounding them. All of them patiently waiting for the couple to finally open up about their secret relationship.

''So, you two...how did that happen?'' JJ questioned, as she sat down in her desk chair. The blonde had to admit that from the start she had noticed that there was something between the two women, an attraction of some sort, but she never thought there was anything but friendship going on between the pair, she never thought they were romantically involved.

''Long story short'' Penelope said, as she sat down on Tara's desk, ''After the Montolo case last year Tara was kind enough to drive me home, and at my apartment I asked her if she wanted to come up for a drink, which she did'' Penelope told them, ''Eventually we ended up drunk, and whilst drunk something happened, but when I woke up the next day I could barely remember anything''.

''Which was something that hurt me, because I did remember everything'' Tara said, leaning against her desk next to her girlfriend, ''And because Penelope didn't remember and I did, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to handle it'' she told them, ''So I started ignoring her, avoiding her, until about a month, a month and a half, later when you guys called us out on being weird''.

''I remember that'' Rossi said, ''That morning you were still avoiding Garcia, but by the end of the day you guys seemed to be friends again''.

''Trust me'' Prentiss smirked, ''After that they were more than _just_ friends'' she said, as she remembered walking into Penelope's office that morning and seeing the pair together. She hadn't caught them in a compromising situation, or anything, but she knew she had walked in on something.

''Oh...like that húh'' JJ looked over at the pair with amusement twinkling in her eyes.

''Guys...come on, how old are you? 16?'' Tara rolled her eyes, ''It was nothing like that, we just talked''.

''Yeah, we just talked'' Penelope said.

''What happened, though?'' Reid asked with a frown, ''What happened that made you two start fighting in the first place?'' he questioned, having missed that part, ''Because all I can remember is that you two suddenly disliked each other'' he said.

''Yeah, we were wondering the same thing, too'' JJ said.

''Uhh...'' Tara exchanged a look with her girlfriend, not knowing if they should go into detail about that.

''If you must know'' Penelope said, not finding it a big deal if the team knew what happened, ''That night, while we were drunk, we shared a kiss''.

''And that started a fight like that?'' Rossi frowned, not understanding.

''No'' Penelope shook her head, ''It was Tara remembering, and me not remembering, that put friction between us'' she told them, ''A friction that led to avoidance and eventually fighting''.

''Although, if I hadn't been so stubborn, I would've realized much sooner that Penelope not remembering that night, didn't necessarily mean she didn't feel the same way'' Tara told them, ''But, looking back, I think I was also just looking for excuses to keep my feelings hidden, because I just didn't know how to express myself towards her'' she said.

''That was until I dragged you into my lair'' Penelope said with a chuckle, as she remembered the scowl on her girlfriend's face.

''Yeah, that was until you did that'' Tara said with a laugh, ''I'm glad you did, though'' Tara told her, ''Otherwise we might've never talked, and we wouldn't have been here'' she said, as she looked tenderly over at the blonde, still feeling really glad that Penelope had the courage to drag her to her lair that day, to talk, all those months ago.

''I'm glad, too'' Garcia replied with a loving smile.

''And that's how you started dating?'' JJ asked, interrupting their small moment.

''Yes'' Tara nodded, as she looked back to her fellow co-workers again, ''We talked, and in the end we decided to start with a date, see where it goes'' she told them.

''That must've been a good date, than'' Rossi smiled softly. He was happy that his two friends found each other, he could see that the pair adored each other, and all he could do was support that.

''It was'' Tara smiled.

''It certainly was'' Penelope agreed, as she rested her head on Tara's shoulder.

''You know...'' Reid said, something dawning on him, ''I now understand Tara's frequent trips to Garcia's lair, even though we didn't necessarily need anything from her''.

''Guilty'' Tara felt her cheeks heat up at that, because she hadn't realized that her visits to her girlfriend had become obvious to the team.

''It explains the sounds coming from Garcia's office sometimes, too'' Prentiss said, which got her two wide-eyed shocked faces from the couple, which amused her a lot.

''Emily!'' Tara berated her friend.

''I'm going to kill you'' Penelope's head shot up from Tara's shoulder, her eyes narrowed at the raven haired woman, as her cheeks colored a scarlet red from embarrassment.

''Guys, I'm just messing with you'' Emily bursted out laughing.

''You better be'' Tara glared at her.

''I'm sorry, but you should've seen your faces'' Prentiss said between laughs.

''You're enjoying this _way_ too much, Em'' JJ chuckled, though she had to admit that she found it kinda funny too.

''You're right, I am'' Emily said, after finally coming up from her laughter, ''I'm sorry, I was just teasing you'' she told the couple, ''Or was I...'' she raised an eyebrow

''Why am I still friends with you?'' Penelope said, looking unamused up at her friend, because she really thought they had been caught. It wasn't like they had sex in the office or something, but sometimes one thing led to another and things happen.

''You're still friends with me because you love me'' Emily stated with a wink, because Penelope couldn't deny that.

''All right, now that Prentiss has had her little teasing fest, let me ask you the last question we're all dying to know'' Rossi said, looking up at the couple across from him.

''What last question?'' Tara asked.

''Well...the question of how long you guys have been together, and why you haven't told us sooner?'' Rossi replied.

''Well, in about a month and a half, on the 21st of November, it'll be a year'' Penelope told them. Only now realizing, when she said those words out loud, how long they had kept their relationship a secret, which shocked her, because normally she couldn't keep a secret for longer than a couple of days at the most.

''Wait...that long?'' JJ's eyes widened, ''You guys kept it from us, _successfully_ , for almost a year'' she said, not believing it. They're profilers, they're able to pick apart the minds of serial killers, but for some reason they hadn't been able to figure out something that was happening right infront of their eyes.

''Yeah'' Tara nodded, ''We just wanted to figure things out on our own, we wanted it to be just us for a while, not realizing that so many months had already past without us ever saying a word'' she said, ''I guess life just swept us away, you know''.

''Also, in the beginning, we didn't want to tell anyone because we didn't know how things would work out between us'' Penelope added, ''We didn't know if dating would work for us, so we didn't want to tell people and eventually break up. We wanted to be sure'' she said.

''And you needed a _year_ to be sure of that?'' Rossi said with a raised eyebrow.

''No, of course not'' Penelope shook her head, ''But like Tara said, life swept us away, and we just never found the right moment to tell you'' she said.

''Morgan did know though, did he?'' Reid said, eyeing the couple, as he knew that Morgan and Garcia couldn't keep any secrets between them.

''Yeah, Savannah and him know for a while now'' Penelope told him, ''But only because we ran into them when we were out on a date back in May''.

''Yeah, that's how it went'' Tara snorted, ''Babe, you told Morgan about us even before we went out on our first date'' she told her girlfriend.

''All right, I did'' Penelope admitted, ''But you know I can't keep anything from him'' she said, ''Everytime I try keeping something from him, he sees right through me, and figures it out before I can even say a thing''.

''That's the true Morgan and Garcia friendship'' Prentiss chuckled, not knowing them any different than that.

''Yeah, I know'' Tara said, having gotten used to that by now after dating Penelope for almost a year.

''Oh...before I forget'' Emily said, ''How did the house hunting go?'' she asked. After she heard from Hotch that Penelope had taken some of her vacation days, and Tara was obviously home to heal, she had called the couple and asked them how things were going, especially after that fight in the bullpen, and eventually the topic of them moving in came up, and they told her that they were busy searching for a house to buy.

''House hunting?'' JJ furrowed her brows.

''Yes'' Penelope nodded, a smile spreading on her lips, as she still felt extremely excited about the fact that Tara and her are the proud owners of their own house now, ''Last week Tara asked me to move in with her, and we right away started looking for houses we could buy''.

''How much did you guys actually keep from us?'' Reid questioned with furrowed brows.

''You two didn't secretly elope or something, right?'' Rossi said jokingly, knowing a lot can happen in a year.

''Well...'' Garcia held up her left hand, teasingly.

''Penelope'' Tara scolded the blonde, as she pushed her girlfriend's hand down, ''Isn't it enough that we threw the bombshell of us being together for almost a year, and having bought a house, at them?''.

''I was just kidding, Sweetheart'' Penelope laughed, ''You really think I would've gotten married without all of them there'' she said, ''There's no chance''.

''I would've kicked your assess if you had done that'' JJ told them pointedly.

''We know'' Tara chuckled, knowing the blonde wasn't joking in any way about that, ''But you won't ever have to worry about that'' she assured them, ''Because like Penelope said, we wouldn't ever get married without our favorite people there''.

''Good'' Reid smiled.

''So, back to the topic of the house'' Emily said, as she still wanted to know how that went, ''Did it happen?'' she asked.

''Yes, it did'' Penelope nodded, ''We're now proud owners of a beautiful four bedroom house in the D.C. district'' she said, her lips turning up into a grin.

''Congratulations'' Prentiss grinned at hearing the good news, as she walked over to hug the pair.

''Thank you'' Penelope said, as she hugged her friend, which was soon followed by hugs from the rest of the team, as all of them were happy for them too.

''When are you guys moving in?'' JJ asked, as she sat down again.

''In about three weeks, because the realtor needs to finish up some things with the previous owners first'' Tara replied, ''But after that, the house will officially be ours and we can finally move in''.

''Well, if you need any help moving in, I'm happy to lend a hand'' Rossi told them, ''I'm always available for you'' he said with a smile.

''Yeah, just give the word and we'll be there'' Prentiss said, feeling the same way as Rossi.

''Thank you'' Penelope smiled softly at them, appreciating it, ''Morgan and Savannah already offered, too, so it should be an easy move with everyone's help''.

''Garcia, Lewis'' an all too familiar voice interrupted their conversation, making everyone turn around, ''Good to see you two back at work again'' Hotch told them with a small smile.

''Good to be back, Sir'' Penelope replied with a smile of her own.

''Did you have a good week?'' he asked them.

''We did'' Tara told him, ''We definitely made the most of it'' she said, as she put a hand on Penelope's knee, and shared a smile with her.

''That's good to hear'' Hotch said, ''How's your wound doing?'' he asked, nodding with his head to Tara's side.

''Good'' Tara replied, ''It's healing as it should'' she said, ''The doctor told me that I should be able to head back into the field again, though I still need to be careful and not strain it, or overdo it, for another couple of weeks''.

''And you're going to listen to what the doctor said'' Garcia told the brunette, ''Because I really don't want to get a call like that _ever_ again'' she said, still afraid of losing her girlfriend, even though everything turned out fine.

''You won't'' Tara said softly, assuring the blonde that she'll try to stay out of trouble. She didn't want to end up in another situation like that ever again, anyway, although it came with the job.

''Good'' Penelope's lips turned up into a soft smile, feeling slightly at ease now because of her girlfriend's assurance, though the fear of losing her was always in the back of her mind.

''All right, now that we're all caught up, you two do realize that we still need to talk, right?'' Hotch told them.

''We already figured that'' Tara nodded.

''Lets get it over with, than'' he said, nodding with his head to his office.

''Yeah...lets get it over with'' Penelope breathed out, as she scooted off the desk and stood up.

The two women followed their boss to his office, a feeling of dread filling their stomachs, as they were afraid that the Director didn't agree with the nature of their relationship, which could lead to things they didn't even want to think about, like transfers, or worse, they could order them to break up.

''You think the Director decided to be hard on them?'' Reid asked his co-workers, as he watched the couple and their boss walk away.

''I don't know'' JJ shook her head, ''There _are_ still fraternization rules'' the blonde said.

''Don't worry, guys. They'll be fine'' Prentiss said, ''If the Director has a heart, he can see that those two are in love and belong together, you can't break that up'' she told them.

''Actually...he can'' Rossi sighed, ''But lets all hope that he didn't decide that'' he said.

* * *

''Take a seat'' Hotch gestured with his hand to the two chairs infront of his desk, as he sat down on the chair behind it.

''Sir...'' Penelope spoke up, as she sat down, ''We know relationships between co-works are against bureau regulations, but can I just say tha-''.

''Babe'' Tara cut off her girlfriend, putting a hand on her arm, ''Let Hotch talk first before we say anything unnecessary, okay''.

''Yes, okay, of course'' Penelope said with a nod of her head, already being way ahead of the situation, ''I'm sorry, go on...'' the blonde told her boss.

''It's okay'' Hotch said softly, before turning serious, ''All right, like Garcia already mentioned, you two know that there are still regulations against fraternization'' he told them, which made the couple tense up, something Hotch noticed too, so he quickly spoke further, '' _However_ , the Director isn't a cold blooded person, and because you were able to keep your relationship out of the office, and not let it interfere with your job, he doesn't mind it that much''.

''Really?'' Tara said, surprised but really happy about the decision, as she shared a glance with Penelope.

''Yes, really'' Hotch nodded, noticing the relieve in both women.

''So...no need for any transfers or something like that?'' Penelope asked, just to be sure.

''No, no need for all of that fuss'' Hotch shook his head, ''It's actually a good thing that Garcia isn't an SSA agent like us but a technical analyst, because that made it easier for the Director to decide'' he told them.

''That's really good to hear'' Tara breathed out, relieved, glad that things could stay the way they are.

'' _But_...'' Hotch held up a finger, interrupting their moment of happiness, ''The Director did say one last thing''.

''What did he say?'' Penelope asked, feeling some of the happiness fade away because of the 'but'.

''He said that he doesn't want to see a repeat of what happened last week _ever_ again'' Hotch told them, ''As long as that doesn't happen again, he approves'' he said.

''We promise you, it won't happen again, _ever_ '' Penelope immediately replied.

''Yeah, you can count on that, Hotch'' Tara said, they were both too glad that the bureau approved of them to jeopardize it.

''All right, good'' Hotch nodded, ''Than all I can say now is...I'm happy for you two'' he smiled.

''Thank you'' both women replied at the same time, both feeling relieved about the fact that the whole team and bureau supported them.

* * *

 **A/n: I know this chapter is shorter than my usual ones, but I needed a filler chapter before we went on with the story. So I hope you enjoyed it, and review or follow if you want to!**

 **Love, ciao.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

After the talk with Hotch, life went on like they were already used to, nothing had changed except for the fact they were now open about their relationship, but besides that, everything stayed the same. They still kept their love and affection to a minimum at work, and they still acted like they always did, though it was now much more obvious that the pair was together.

About four weeks had past in the mean time, and a lot has happened in those weeks. Two weeks after buying the house, the realtor finally told them that they could move in, and that the house was completely theirs, and they immediately started on getting the house together. In between the cases that came along, that split them up for a couple of days at a time, they had started on installing the floors, painting the walls, and checking everything that needed to be done. And finally, now two weeks after that, they were able to completely move into the house with the help of their friends.

''If you take that side, I'll take this one'' Morgan said to Jake, Daniel's husband. A couple of months after Tara and Penelope's date at the Salsa club, Daniel and Jake had decided to tie the knot in a small wedding ceremony with only their closests friends and family, which included Tara and Penelope. And today they had decided to grace them with their presence, and help them wherever they could, which the couple appreciated a lot, because if things went as planned, they should be completely moved in by the end of the day.

''You sure the two of us are strong enough to carry this?'' Jake said, not sure if the couch wasn't too heavy for just the two of them.

''I agree, guys'' Penelope told the two men, ''That couch looks pretty heavy'' she said.

''Don't worry about us, Babygirl, we can handle it'' Morgan winked at her, flexing his muscles to show of his strength.

''Always the show off'' Penelope teasingly rolled her eyes, ''But handsome, I was more talking about my neatly painted walls'' she said, ''Don't scratch them''.

''Ouch woman...'' Derek put a hand to his heart, ''You wound me'' he said.

''You can handle it'' she smirked.

''Come on Jake, lets leave these mean, _mean_ people outside and get this couch inside'' Derek said, as he picked up one side of the couch, while Jake picked up the other one.

''We're not mean'' JJ said, ''That's all your _Babygirl_ , she's the meany head'' she teased.

''I just care about all the hard work Tara and I have put into this house, Jayje'' Penelope told the blonde.

''I know, Garcie'' JJ patted her shoulder, as she shook her head at her friends antics, before going further with helping the rest.

''Sweetheart...'' Tara threw an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders, ''Did you have to bruise his ego like that'' she said with an amused smile, as she looked down at the blonde.

''Like I said, he can handle it'' Penelope shrugged, as she leaned up to give her girlfriend a kiss on her cheek, before walking out of the brunette's arms, so she could help her friends with unloading the moving truck further.

''Crazy woman'' Tara shook her head with a smile, as she followed the blonde.

''You have to live with her'' Prentiss said jokingly.

''Yeah, I know'' Tara chuckled, ''But I do that with all my love''.

''Awh...Chocolate angel, I do exactly the same'' Penelope grinned, having overheard what her girlfriend just said, as she walked past them with a box in her hands to bring into the house.

''I know'' Tara grinned back, before she watched the blonde walk into the house.

''I still can't believe I never saw it'' Reid said, as he took a box from the truck, followed by Prentiss and Tara.

''What do you mean?'' Tara furrowed her brows, not getting what the genius meant, as the three of them walked back to the house.

''I mean Garcia and you'' he said, walking beside the brunette, ''It's _so_ obvious, but somehow I never saw it like Emily did''.

''You weren't the only one, Spencer, the rest of the team didn't know either'' Tara said, ''And it wasn't like we said anything or something'' she told him.

''No, I know that'' Spencer said, ''It's just...thinking back, there have been so many moments that were obvious that I don't know how I could've missed it, you know'' he said with a shrug.

''Yeah, okay...that's true'' Tara laughed, ''Penelope and I haven't been as transparent as we thought we were''.

''You think'' Prentiss snorted, ''Showing up to work in those fancy clothes and trying to make us believe that you coincidentally both had a date that night. Which you made us try to believe like ten times'' she said.

''All right'' Tara gave in, ''We were completely see through'' she said, as she put the box in her hands down in the livingroom.

''I understand it though'' Emily told her, ''The essence of wanting it on the down-low for a while'' she said, as she opened up the box, she had been carrying, and started to unpack it, ''To just figure everything out first, and it just being the two of you and not everyone else, too''.

''Exactly'' Tara nodded, completely getting what Emily meant, ''We wanted to establish something first, see where it all could go, and enjoy the moments without anyone interfering yet''.

''I felt the same way with Meave'' Reid said, ''That's why I didn't mind it at all, that you kept your relationship a secret'' he told the brunette, ''It's just, being a profiler, I should've been able to see through it, you know'' he said.

''I know, and I understand'' Tara smiled softly at him, ''But, to comfort you, only Emily, Derek and Savannah knew''.

''That does make it a _tiny_ bit better'' Reid joked, as a smile now curled at the corners of his lips too.

''All right...now enough about my relationship with Penelope, lets get these unpacked and out of the way'' Tara said, as she opened up the box infront of her.

''Sounds good to me'' Reid said, as they all went further with moving in, unpacking, and putting everything where it belonged.

* * *

Some hours and some hard working on their side later, they were completely done with all the bigger furniture and boxes. All the rooms were sorted, everything was in place, and it was only the smaller things that needed to be put away, which they left to the pair to do themselves later on.

After seeing everyone out, and cleaning up the mess from their first dinner in the house, both women plopped down on the couch. It was the first time today that they were alone, and the silence was very much welcome to their buzzing ears, as they looked around their almost done home.

''I can't believe it took us only a day to move everything in'' Penelope said, as she tucked her legs underneath herself, and leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

''Yeah, me neither'' Tara said, glad that they had a lot of friends who wanted to help them, which made it possible, ''Our own home'' Tara sighed happily, as she pulled the blonde closer to her.

''Our own home'' Penelope repeated, a gentle smile forming on her lips, as she looked up to Tara, who was still looking around in wonderment at the house that was their future, ''I love you _so_ much, you know that'' Garcia said softly, her whole body filling with warmth and joy at the fact that Tara was just as ready for their future together as she was.

Tara swiftly turned her head, looking up at Penelope, as she heard the deep meaning in her voice, ''I love you, too'' the brunette replied softly, looking from one eye to the other, as she took a hold on the side of Penelope's face, before pulling her into a tender kiss.

''I'm so happy it's you I get to do this with'' Tara said, as they pulled apart, ''There's literally no one else I would want this more with, than with you'' she told her, stroking the blonde's cheek with her thumb.

''I feel the same way. I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else, either'' Penelope said just above a whisper, as she pulled the brunette back into a kiss again, showing her just how much she feels the same way as her.

* * *

The next morning, after having had a peaceful first night in their house, Tara woke up in the arms of her girlfriend. The rays of sun, peeking through the curtains, making her open her eyes. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she tried to stretch, but soon found out that Penelope's arms were wrapped too tightly around her to do so, and when she tried to wiggle out of her grip, the blonde only pulled her closer. Even in her sleep Penelope didn't want to let go.

A soft smile formed on Tara's lips at the knowledge of that, as she looked up at the beautiful woman laying next to her. Her blonde hair a mess on her pillow, her light skin a beautiful contrast against her own, and soft snores escaping her mouth that the brunette found oddly cute, as her ear picked up the sound of the beating of her girlfriend's heart. The sound being in sync with her own heartbeat, which was really comforting.

Feeling Penelope loosen her strength on her again, Tara kissed her girlfriend's bare shoulder, and wiggled herself out of the bed, being careful not to wake the blonde up. When she was out of the bed, she quickly gathered a pair of panties and a shirt and put them on, before making her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Half an hour later Tara walked back upstairs again, her hands filled with a tray that was filled with breakfast. Walking into the bedroom, she put the tray down on the bedside-table, and crawled back into bed again to wake her girlfriend up.

''Sweetheart'' Tara shook Penelope's shoulder.

''Hmm...no...'' Penelope mumbled, burying herself deeper under the covers.

''Babe, wake up'' Tara tried again, this time shaking her shoulder a bit harder.

''It's too early'' Penelope grumbled, as she turned her back to Tara, and buried her face into her pillow.

''I've got your favorite coffee'' Tara said, knowing that, that would get her a reaction.

Penelope instantly turned around again at hearing this, but stopped halfway when it dawned on her what day is was, ''It's Sunday, the coffee shop isn't open on Sunday'' she said, realizing that this was only a decoy to get her to wake up.

''I'm sorry, Peaches'' Tara replied, as she looked amused down at the woman, ''But I did make you this'' she said, as she picked up the tray with breakfast, including regular coffee, and put it down on the bed between them.

''Love bug...'' Penelope said, as she sat up against the headboard, Tara sitting down next to her, with the tray in between them, ''This is _so_ much better than my favorite coffee'' she told the brunette, as she leaned over and kissed her on the lips, before picking up one of the cup's of coffee from the tray.

''I'm glad'' Tara smiled, ''I would've been hurt if you preferred coffee over me'' she said, as she took a piece of toast from her plate.

''Than it's good that I will always prefer you over everything'' Penelope winked, as she took a sip from the dark liquid in her cup.

''Yes, it is'' Tara's smile turned gentle, as she put a piece of toast in her mouth.

''This feel so good, doesn't it?'' Garcia breathed out happily, as she slumped back against the headboard, enjoying every second of this moment, ''Waking up in our own house...our own place''.

''It feels amazing'' Tara told her, feeling the same way as her girlfriend, ''And to think that is only the beginning'' she said.

''You know, I feel so giddy everytime I think about all the years we still have ahead of us'' Penelope admitted, a light red color painting her cheeks, as she took a hold on Tara's hand, entwining their fingers.

''I know how you feel'' Tara said, smiling softly at the facial expression on her girlfriend's face, that showed how affected she was by their relationship, just like her, ''I still can't believe I even had the courage to tell you how I felt and now we're here'' she gently stroked circles on Penelope's skin with her thumb.

''Yeah...and now we're here'' Garcia smiled, as she looked up into the dark brown eyes of her lover, ''I still thank my lucky stars, everyday, that you chose me over the millions of people you could've chosen in this world'' she said.

''Honestly...that was the easiest decision I have ever had to make in my life'' Tara told her.

''Really?'' Penelope said, her lips turning up into a wide smile, as her eyes filled with only love for the woman after hearing her say that.

''Yes, really'' Tara told her, ''I think I just knew from the moment that we met, that it was gonna be you''.

''That handshake really was something, wasn't it?'' Penelope giggled, as she remembered how her crush on the tall, dark and gorgeous woman immediately showed from the moment they touched hands. How it took them more than a year to figure it out though, was still a mystery to them, because it has been _so_ obvious from the beginning.

''Yeah, it was definitely something'' Tara laughed, as she knew exactly which handshake Penelope meant, ''Nothing was the same after that'' she said, ''At least...not for me''.

''For me neither'' Penelope said, ''I may not have realized it right away, at that specific moment, but I've definitely been in love with you from the beginning'' she told her softly. Penelope felt so lucky that she had found a love like this; a love that you can express so openly, and feel so intensely. A love where you can trust the person that you love, to love you back the same amount. For her it felt like the greatest love of all, and she was lucky to have found it with such an amazing person.

''It's funny how life can turn out, isn't it?'' Tara said, her facial expression showing she was thinking thoughtfully about something, ''I mean...when I was younger I never thought that this kind of future was possible for me. I never thought I could end up having an PhD and working for the FBI, you know'' she told her, ''I also never thought I was into women until _much_ later in my life, but now I can't imagine it any different, I can't imagine my life any different, because this has been the best things that's ever happened to me. _You_ are the best thing that's ever happened to me'' she said.

''You really have become a romantic mess since me, haven't you?'' Penelope teased with a grin, though her heart swelled at the words.

''Just a _tiny_ bit'' Tara joked, ''But, you know what I mean, right?''.

''Yeah, I do'' Garcia replied softly with a nod of her head, ''My life has changed drastically over the years, too'' she said, ''And most of it wasn't in my future plans either, but just like you I now can't imagine my life any different'' she told her, ''I also can't think of a life without you anymore, because you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, too''.

''We're starting to become a pair of sappy old ladies, aren't we?'' Tara laughed, as she thought about their whole conversation.

''Hey, are you calling me old'' Penelope raised a challenging eyebrow at the brunette.

''Only in the light of day'' Tara teased, a wide grin plastered on her face.

''It is that I'm holding a cup of steaming hot coffee, otherwise you would've gotten it'' Penelope narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend.

''In the good way?'' Tara wiggled her eyebrows.

''No, definitely not in the good way'' Penelope replied, playfully sticking out her tongue at the brunette.

''Well...I'm definitely not opposed to getting a little dirty'' Tara smirked, ''And I know a _great_ activity that could put that tongue to really good use'' she said, biting her lip.

''You're mind is a dirty, _dirty_ place, isn't it, Miss Lewis?'' Penelope chuckled, though she was definitely not opposed to that exact activity either, because she can't deny that her own thoughts are filled with the lovely brunette too, and with was she can do to her when they're finally alone, and together.

''Only when it comes to you, Miss Garcia'' Tara winked at her, loving this kind of flirting and banter between them.

''Well...maybe you get lucky later on'' Penelope seductively bit her lip.

''How about I get lucky right now?'' Tara said, a twinkle in her eyes, as she took the cup of coffee out of her girlfriends hands, before picking up the tray that was still between them, and put it down on the bedside-table.

''What if I say no?'' Penelope challenged the brunette, a mischievous look filling her cherry brown eyes, because they both know that the blonde could never say no to her; hence why she isn't protesting.

''I know for a fact that you're not gonna'' Tara told her, as she rolled Penelope onto her back and hovered over her, finding her place between her girlfriend's legs.

''And how do you know that?'' Penelope questioned, already sounding slightly out of breath, as she felt the brunette's right hand trail down her body to the place where she needed her the most.

''Because you're just as turned on as me'' Tara replied just above a whisper before closing the distance between them and pulling the blonde into a kiss, as her fingers found the bundle of nerves hidden between her lovers legs, making Penelope moan out.

* * *

After round three, the pair thought they should probably get out of bed and make something of the short day still ahead of them, before they were needed back again at work tomorrow. So they both showered, got dressed, and decided to start unpacking some of the last things in the house. Eventually ending up in the downstairs bedroom, that they had turned into an office.

And while unpacking a lot of memories and things from their childhood came up to the surface. From old photo's, to things that were dear to them as little girls, to things they thought they didn't own anymore. And you'd think, after a while, you would know someone, but those childhood memories made them realize that there was still a bottomless pit of things that they still needed to learn about each other, and from each other. And they enjoyed that, they enjoyed the fact that they could still learn from one another, that their relationship was still full of things they needed to get to know about each other.

Eventually there was only one box left to unpack in the room, and as Tara started opening it, she caught a glance of something that made her squeal out, which was something that surprised Penelope because she hadn't heard the brunette sound like that ever before.

''O my God'' Tara said, not believing what she just found, ''Where did this come from?'' she asked, as she took the stuffed animal, that was in the form of a baby elephant, out of the box.

Penelope, who obviously had heard the squeal, looked over at her girlfriend, wanting to know what all the excitement was about, ''Oh _that_...that I found between some stuff in your closet, in your spare bedroom, when we packed everything up for the move'' she said, when she realized what Tara was holding in her hands.

''Seriously...'' Tara replied, a smile covering her lips, as she looked adoringly down at the baby elephant, ''I though I lost it'' she said.

''Apparently you didn't'' Penelope told her softly, ''You just had to look a little bit harder through your stuff to find it'' she said, ''By the way, do you know that you look the same way at that stuffed animal as you look at me when I'm not looking'' Garcia chuckled, although finding it really cute that her lover was excited about a stuffed animal.

''You've caught that look?'' Tara's lips turned into a tender smile, as she looked up at her girlfriend. She should've known Penelope would eventually catch her staring at her, after all the brunette couldn't stop looking at her. Just something about the curvy blonde completely draws her in, making her not be able to look away, and it's one of the reasons why she fell in love with her.

''It's not that hard to catch when you're full-on staring at me'' Penelope said with a giggle.

''Yeah, okay, that's true'' Tara said with a laugh, before looking back down again at the toy in her hands, stroking the soft material with her thumb.

''So...what's the story behind the stuffed animal?'' Garcia asked softly, ''What's so special about it?''.

''Well...it's special because I got it from my grandmother'' Tara told her, as she sat down on the ground beside the box, ''And the story behind it...'' Tara said, ''The story behind it is that when I was about five years old my parents, my brother, my grandmother and I went to a funfair. And after walking around for a while we eventually came across the ball-throwing stand, and immediately the purple elephant caught my eye'' she told her, ''Obviously I asked my parents for it, and they told me that I could try a couple of times, but I failed miserably each and every try'' she said, ''Eventually, after my parents thought I had gotten enough shots at it, my grandmother decided to give it a try, and she won it after only trying twice'' she smiled, as she could still remember the moment vividly, ''After getting the stuffed animal my grandmother instantly gave it to me, and from the moment my small hands had a hold on it, I couldn't let it go. I immediately fell in love with it''.

''That's really sweet'' Penelope smiled softly, ''Grandparents are the best, aren't they?'' she said.

''Yeah, they are'' Tara nodded.

''Is that what made it special? You're grandmother winning it for you?'' Penelope asked.

''No'' Tara shook her head, ''It wasn't until a couple of years later that it became a special reminder to my youth'' she said, a sad smile replacing the happy one on her lips.

''Why?'' Garcia asked, as she had noticed the sudden mood change.

''Well, a few years after that day at the funfair, my grandmother past away'' Tara replied, ''I was actually with her on that specific day, and I might've been a little girl back then, but I knew exactly what was going on'' she said, ''So I wanted to comfort her, I wanted to make her feel at ease, so I told her that she could have the baby elephant, that he'll keep her safe, but she wouldn't take it. Instead she told me that I should keep it myself, because this stuffed animal was going to be the connection between me and her when she was gone'' she told her, ''After that she also told me that if I ever had a tough time, or if I'm ever feeling down, I could talk to it and she would hear me, and watch over me''.

''You're grandmother sounds like she was a really great person'' Penelope said, tears stinging her eyes.

''Yeah, she was'' Tara nodded her head, as she kept her gaze on the toy. She hadn't seen it in such a long time, she hadn't even _thought_ about it in such a long time, that now seeing it again brought back a lot of memories she had forgotten about.

''Did you ever talk to it?'' Penelope asked, as she crawled over to her girlfriend, sitting down next to her and leaning her head on the brunette's shoulder, both of them now looking down at the purple creature in Tara's hands.

''I did'' Tara replied, ''I started doing that right after my grandmother past away'' she told her, ''And I think I didn't stop until I was about 17 or 18, which I know is pretty old to still do that, but it gave me comfort'' she said, as she leaned her head on top of Penelope's.

''As long as it gave you comfort, who cares'' Penelope said with a shrug.

''That's true'' Tara nodded, ''Though my brother did always tease me with it, but not in the really mean kinda way'' she said, ''I think more in the jealous kind of way, because I know he missed grandma just as much as I did, and he probably wanted a connection like that too, or something'' she told her, though not being completely sure if that was true, because she had never actually questioned her brother about it.

''Yeah, that's possible'' Penelope said, ''You know...I think we should give it a place in the house'' Penelope told the brunette. She wanted their home to be surrounded by their past, present and future, and the stuffed animal was definitely a start of that.

''Really?'' Tara said, looking down at the blonde now.

''Of course'' Penelope nodded, ''We need to fill this house with us, right? And that stuffed animal is a part of you'' she said.

''All right, we'll find a place for it than'' Tara smiled.

''But first...we still need to unpack that last box'' Penelope said, as she pointed to the box that stood infront of them.

''Just a couple more minutes, okay'' Tara said softly, as she laid her head back down on top of her girlfriend's again, feeling a little bit too comfortable to move yet.

''Okay'' Penelope said, ''A few more minutes actually sounds really good'' she told her, as she leaned closer to the brunette, feeling completely content.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

It was the middle of the day when Tara heard the glass-doors of the BAU department open and close, followed by the sound of heels clicking on the ground, which could only mean one thing - it's lunch time. A smile instantly formed on her lips, as she closed the file she was working on and picked up her bag from under her desk and her coat from the back of her chair, before standing up.

''Ready for lunch, babe?'' Tara said, as she turned to her girlfriend.

Penelope stopped at Tara's desk and hesitated a bit before saying, ''I'm sorry love, but I already made plans with Emily''.

''Yes, that's right'' Prentiss said, as she came up behind the pair, ''You can have her back again after that'' she joked, as she shrugged on her coat.

''Yes, of course'' Tara said, knowing she wasn't the only one who wanted to hang out with the blonde, ''Have fun'' she told them.

''Thank you'' Penelope smiled, though it seemed a little nervous and shaky, which made Tara frown. ''I'll come by before I head back to my office again, yeah'' she said, as she leaned up to give the brunette a kiss on her lips.

''Yeah, okay'' Tara replied, as she returned the kiss, ''I love you'' she told her with a smile, as they pulled away from each other.

''Love you, too'' Penelope smiled softly back, seeming normal again, before she walked out of the bullpen with Emily.

With a sigh Tara put all of her stuff down again, and took a seat in her chair. It looked like she was going to have lunch just by herself today.

JJ and Reid, who were the only ones beside Tara still in the bullpen, exchanged a look with each other.

''That sounded like a sad sigh'' JJ spoke up, as she looked over to the brunette, noticing the expression on her face.

''I'm not sad'' Tara said, not understanding why her colleague would think that, as she took a glance at the glass-doors where she could still see her girlfriend and Emily through, who were now waiting for the elevator to arrive.

''No, she's not sad'' Reid agreed with a shake of his head, ''That look is more a look of worry, or concern'' he said.

''Are you guys profiling me?'' Tara furrowed her brows, as she looked over at the pair across from her.

''No, I'm just stating facts here'' Reid told the brunette, as he held up his hands, showing her that he didn't mean any harm with what he just said.

''Why are you worried?'' JJ asked, not understanding her co-workers concern.

''Honestly...I don't know'' Tara said with a sigh, as she slumped back against her seat and crossed her arms.

''Trouble in paradise?'' the blonde questioned, though she would find it odd if that was the issue, because they all had witnessed the kiss and the 'I love you's' between the pair just a minute ago. Though, on the other hand, Tara's sigh- and look definitely showed _some_ concern.

''Not that I know of'' Tara shook her head.

''Than what's the problem?'' Reid asked.

''It's just...Penelope has been acting so secretive in the past weeks, and I don't understand why'' Tara told them, ''She usually always tells me everything, but now...now it seems like she's hiding something every time I ask her what's going on, or what's wrong'' she said.

''You think something's wrong with her?'' Reid furrowed his brows, not having noticed any difference in the blonde's behavior himself.

''It doesn't seem like it'' Tara shook her head, ''It's just...it makes me worried whenever she isn't telling me something, you know'' she told them.

''I understand'' JJ said softly, as she looked from Tara to the two women who were still waiting by the elevators. She knew they had a rule within the team about not profiling each other, but that didn't stop her from noticing some small things anyway. Like Penelope's posture, the expression on her face, and some other things that gave away that the blonde was having an easy going and comfortable conversation with Emily. There was absolutely nothing JJ noticed that told her that Penelope was hiding something serious from her girlfriend, something that should worry Tara.

''You know...'' JJ said, as she looked back to the brunette, ''I don't think you have anything to worry about'' she told Tara with a smile, ''I know Garcia, if something was really wrong with her, she would've definitely told you by now'' she said.

''Yeah, I know that'' Tara nodded, obviously knowing that, but she still felt a bit unsure, because it then didn't make any sense why Penelope was being so secretive towards her.

''Maybe she just needs some time with her friends'' Reid told her.

''Maybe...'' Tara shrugged, ''But I'm her friend too, right?'' she said.

''Yes, you are'' JJ replied, ''But you're also her girlfriend'' she pointed out, ''Just wait, okay...'' JJ told her, ''She'll come to you when she's ready to share whatever she's hiding'' she said, ''Besides, knowing Penelope, she's only this secretive when it comes to surprises or special occasions she organises'' she winked at the brunette, reassuring her that she shouldn't worry about it at all.

''Yeah, that's true'' Tara nodded, knowing her girlfriend was like that, ''And, of course I know that if something was _really_ going on, or wrong, Penelope would've already told me about it'' she told them, ''Our relationship is based completely on honesty, after all'' she added, ''But that doesn't make me stop worrying about her, especially when she acts like this''.

''Of course it doesn't make you stop worrying about her'' JJ said, ''You love her, it's the natural thing to do'' she smiled softly, ''But I still think you don't have anything to worry about, because as far as I can see, nothing seems wrong'' she told the brunette, ''So don't worry, okay''.

''Okay, I'll try'' Tara said with a smile, ''All right...'' she breathed out, ''Who wants to have lunch with me now?'' she asked, ''Because my usual lunch date has been stolen''.

''It's like that, húh'' Reid said, ''You only need us when Garcia's not around'' he teased, as he closed the file infront of him.

''Of course not'' Tara told him, ''I also need you for that giant brain of yours'' she teased back, as she shrugged on her coat.

''People _really_ are only out for my brain and knowledge, aren't they?'' Reid sighed heavily, as he picked up his bag.

''Nope...also that cute little face'' Tara jokingly cooed, which made the guy blush.

''You guys are a bunch of weirdos, you know that?'' JJ chuckled, shaking her head, ''No wonder Penelope fell in love with you, Tara'' she joked.

''I'm gonna take that as a compliment'' Tara told her with a grin, ''All right, come on, lets get out of here'' the brunette said, ''I need food'' she said, as she started making her way out of the bullpen.

''Right behind you'' Reid followed the brunette, a skip in his step.

''It's like working with a bunch of two year olds'' JJ said with a laugh, as she took her coat and purse and followed her friends.

* * *

''So Tara didn't look too happy that I stole you for lunch'' Emily said amused, as they got out of the car. After leaving the BAU, the pair had first made their way to the otherside of town because Penelope had to pick something up, before making their way to the restaurant where they were now going to have lunch.

''I know'' Penelope said, remembering the look on her girlfriend's face when she told her that she already had plans, ''But she'll survive an hour or two without me'' she told her, as they crossed the street and made their way over to the sidewalk.

''You sure?'' Prentiss chuckled, knowing the pair has become almost joined at the hip over the past months, they literally have become a two-for-one package.

''Yes, I'm sure'' Garcia rolled her eyes, as she opened the door to the restaurant, ''Besides, I couldn't just tell her the real reason why I couldn't have lunch with her today, could I?'' she said, holding the door open for her friend.

''Thank you'' Emily smiled at the gesture, ''And no, I know that you couldn't just tell her that'' she said, ''But I do believe she has become suspicious'' Emily told her.

''Hi, can I help you?'' the waitress, who was waiting to help new customers, approached them, interrupting their conversation.

''Hi'' Penelope smiled at the redhead, ''Yes, a table for two, please'' she said.

''All right, follow me'' the woman told them.

After being seated, and ordering their food, Penelope replied to what Emily had said to her a couple of minutes ago, ''I know she has become suspicious, but I don't want to spoil anything'' she said.

''I understand'' Emily said, ''It's a once in a lifetime thing, right?'' she smiled.

''If it depends on me... _definitely_ '' Penelope nodded, a smile curling at the corners of her lips, ''I really can't see myself with anyone else but her''.

''You really, _really_ love her don't you?'' Emily's lips melted into a gentle smile, as she looked at the blonde.

''Yeah, I do'' Penelope replied, her smile turning bashful, as a light blush painted her cheeks, ''I can honestly say that she's the love of my life'' she said.

''I can see that'' Emily said softly. She really loved it that Penelope was _so_ in love with someone, because the blonde definitely deserved it, ''So...when are you planning on doing the little surprise?'' Emily asked.

''I hope in a couple of weeks, on our one year anniversary'' Penelope told her, a wide smile replacing the shy one on her lips when she thought about what she's got planned.

''I hope for you that no case will come along around that time then'' Emily said, ''Because we all know there's a big chance of that happening'' she told the blonde. Killers, after all, are unpredictable.

''Yeah, I hope so too'' Penelope said, ''Because I definitely don't want my plans to fall through''.

''Here you go, ladies'' the waitress came back with their orders.

''Thank you'' Garcia told the woman politely, as her plate was presented infront of her, ''This looks really delicious'' Penelope said when the waitress was gone.

''They don't call it the best Spanish restaurant for nothing'' Emily told her.

''True'' Penelope nodded, as she dug into her food, putting a fork full of food in her mouth, ''Damn, I really need to take Tara here one day'' she said, after swallowing her first bite, ''She'll love it''.

''I thought the same thing'' Emily said, ''I was thinking about bringing Mark here, he'll definitely love it, too''.

''Oh yeah, he's moving here soon, right?'' Penelope said, remembering Emily telling her that a while ago.

''Yes, he's finally able to take that step'' Emily told her, ''Which I'm glad about, because I really can't see myself moving back to England again'' she said, ''I can't imagine leaving you guys again''.

''We really don't wanna see you leave again, either'' Penelope told her, ''We are _too_ happy to have you back to let you go again''.

''I know'' Emily laughed, as she thought back to the warm welcome back she got months ago.

''So when is Mark arriving here?'' Penelope asked, before taking a sip from her drink.

''By the end of next month'' Emily replied, ''Actually a week before Christmas'' she said.

''Which means you finally got someone to spend the Holidays with'' Garcia joked.

''Hey, that's not true'' Emily protested with a pout, ''I've spend a couple of Christmases' with you guys'' she said, ''But when you grow up in a place like I did, Christmas isn't really a fun holiday spend with family'' she told the blonde.

''I'm sorry, I know that'' Penelope said, ''I was just messing with you'' she told her, looking sympathetically at Emily, feeling bad for bringing up bad memories from her friend's past, ''I'm just really happy that you've finally found love, and that you found a person that brightens up your holidays and life'' Penelope smiled, ''You definitely deserve that after everything you've been through'' she said softly.

''Thank you'' Emily said, her lips turning up into a small smile, ''It actually feels really nice to have finally found that, to have finally found someone who makes me feel like that'' she said, her cheeks tinting a light shade of pink.

''Wait...'' Garcia raised an eyebrow, amusement filling her eyes, ''Is the _tough_ and _badass_ Emily Prentiss blushing?''.

''Shut up'' Prentiss rolled her eyes, ''It's just warm in here, that's all'' she said.

''Honey bunch, there's nothing wrong with feeling like that'' Penelope told her, assuring the woman that there was nothing to be embarrassed about, ''It's rare to find love in a world like this'' she said, ''So when you find it, you should embrace it, explore it''.

''I know, I know'' Emily nodded, agreeing, ''And I'm definitely embracing it, otherwise I wouldn't have asked him to come live with me'' she said, ''It's just...I've lived my life _so_ long by myself, that I need to get used to sharing it with someone''.

''I understand, and I know what you mean'' Penelope said, having felt the same way in the beginning of her relationship with Tara.

''How?'' Emily frowned, ''You've been in long-term relationships before, at least more than me'' she said.

''I know that I have been in a couple of long-term relationships before'' Penelope replied with a nod, ''But I've never been in a relationship before where I dreamed of the whole nine yards and more. A relationship where I see myself spending the rest of my life with that person'' Penelope told her, ''Also, I've never been in a relationship before where I was _this_ in love with my partner, either'' the blonde said.

''What about Morgan?'' Emily raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on her face, ''I've heard you moan about him, about how you were so in love with him, and how you could see a whole future with him''.

''Do you know how _long_ ago that was'' Penelope told her, not even having thought about that in over more than three or four years, if not longer, ''And you know that wasn't real, that was more like a dream sequence kind of future. It wasn't reality, it was all in my head'' Penelope said, ''So it's completely different from the future I'm imagining with Tara. Because that one is definitely _not_ in my head, that one is _real,_ that one is happening right now'' she told her, ''Besides, I was talking about people I've been in a relationship with'' she said, ''And I haven't, nor will I ever, be in a relationship with him''.

''All right, that's true'' Emily had to admit, as she realized that it wasn't the same.

''So...like I said, I've never had that in my life before either, until now'' Penelope said, ''Also, I've never moved in with anyone before, Tara is the first one'' she told her, ''So I was used to living by myself, in my own space, too'' she said, ''But when you finally find that person you want to completely share your life with, things change, and you realize that living a life _with_ that person sounds so much better than going further on your own''.

''I get what you mean'' Emily said, understanding what her friend meant, ''And I guess, because I haven't had that before, I just need to get used to it''.

''Yes, exactly'' Penelope said with a nod, ''And you'll adjust to it, trust me'' the blonde added, ''Because when you find the right person, all the adjustments are only for the better, because they make you better'' she told her.

''I know'' Emily replied with a smile, ''Has Tara made you better?'' she asked, interested in knowing that.

''She has'' Garcia replied with a soft smile, ''I always thought that it was a cliche that got told in books and movies, you know'' she said, ''The cliche of falling in love with someone, and them turning your life completely around, and bringing the best out of you'' the blonde told her, ''I honestly thought that was something that just couldn't exist'' she said, ''That it was all just a fairy-tale to entertain people, and to keep them believing in love''.

''But that all changed when you met Tara, am I right?'' Emily's lips turned up into a soft smile, enjoying the way her friend was talking about her girlfriend.

''Yeah, it all changed when I met her'' Penelope nodded, an adorning smile curling the corners of her lips, as she thought about how Tara invaded her life and made it so much better and interesting, ''She showed me a whole new perspective on life, and brought a side out of me I didn't even know I had, she just simply made my life better by just being there'' she said, ''And the funny thing is, we both haven't really changed, we've learned and we've grown together. We showed each other what we liked, we've had conversations that brought up a lot of stuff including our childhoods, and we were just ourselves. We didn't fake anything, or hide our true selves'' she told her, ''Also, we balance each other out, because I'm the more happy and upbeat one, and she's the more calm and collected one, which works really well together for us'' the blonde said, ''Besides we're both interested in different things, so we learn something new from each other everyday, which connects us even deeper''.

''Which is a really good thing'' Prentiss said, ''It keeps the relationship interesting''.

''Yeah, it definitely does'' Penelope nodded, as something else popped up in her head that could be really important in most relationships, too, ''Also...a good and healthy sex life can keep a couple really happy and _really_ satisfied'' she told the other woman with a wink.

''Definitely'' Emily chuckled, agreeing, ''There's definitely no lack of that when it comes to Mark and I'' she said, though now that they were both on different continents it, of course, wasn't as much as usual.

''With a delicious looking man like yours, I can understand why you can't keep your hands off of him'' Garcia told her, as she knew what Emily's boyfriend looked like through pictures she had shown them.

''Hey, keep your eyes on your own lover'' Emily teasingly warned.

''Oh...trust me, I could never keep my eyes off of her, even if I tried'' Penelope told her with a smirk, ''She's definitely one hell of a gorgeous woman I could _never_ get enough of'' she said.

''Damn...that's a little too much information, Garcia'' Emily scrunched up her nose, ''You know I still need to face Tara again today at work, right?'' she joked, both of them knowing that Emily was only teasing Garcia.

''I didn't say anything inappropriate'' Penelope said with a shrug, ''You're the one making it sexual'' the blonde told her.

''I know you didn't say anything inappropriate, but your smirk says it _all_ '' Emily told her, ''You're just giving away _too_ much sometimes'' she chuckled, though knowing that, that was the nature of their favorite technical analyst.

''I can't really help it'' Penelope shrugged, ''There's just no filter between my brain and mouth sometimes'' she said.

''Yeah, we all know that'' Emily said, ''The 'talk dirty' comment is a great example of that'' she laughed.

''God...I thought everyone already forgot about that'' Penelope's face flushed red, embarrassed that, that was still a sentence people remembered so vividly.

''Penelope, that comment will _never_ die'' Prentiss told her with a chuckle.

''Great...'' Penelope rolled her eyes, ''I thought-'' but before she could say anything more, her phone went off, interrupting their conversation. Picking up her phone, and reading the message she received, the blonde sighed, ''It looks like we have to get back to the BAU'' she said, ''We caught a case''.

''There goes the rest of our food'' Emily sighed, as she put her fork down.

''Yeah...and my five minutes with Tara'' Penelope exhaled.

Both quickly took a few more bites from their lunch, not wanting to waste their money too much, before gathering their stuff together and paying for the meal, before heading back to the bureau.

* * *

After that case, the cases seemed to keep coming in, and a couple of weeks later they again were called to another state to help the police department there with a series of homicides. And this case...this case was nowhere _near_ being solved, which was something Tara was definitely not happy with, because today officially marked her and Penelope's one year anniversary, and she was a hundred percent certain she wasn't going to be able to celebrate it with the blonde tonight.

She actually, on purpose, hadn't planned anything big just because she knew this could happen, but she still felt sad when she had to call the restaurant, she made reservations at, to cancel. And because she didn't know when she would be home again, she couldn't plan anything new either.

But eventually, after a rough and long day, without much results, the team decided to call it quits for now and everyone went off to do their own thing. All of them being too tired to do anything else but head back to their hotel room and relax for the night, which Tara didn't mind at all. At the moment she longed to be alone for a bit, she longed to have some privacy so she could call her girlfriend.

Laying down in bed, after having done her nightly routine, Tara picked up her phone and looked at the time, seeing that it was around 12.30 pm back home. She thought about not calling Penelope and just going to sleep, because the blonde must already be asleep in bed too, but eventually she decided against that. She just really needed to hear her girlfriend's voice right now. So she speed dialed number one, and put the phone to her ear, before waiting for the blonde to pick up on the other end.

''Hello, my love'' Garcia drowsily greeted, sounding like she had just been woken up.

''Hey, baby'' Tara said back, ''I'm sorry for waking you up, but I just couldn't go to sleep without having talked to you today''.

''It's okay'' Penelope said, sounding more awake now, ''How was your day?'' she asked. Through the whole day they hadn't been able to really talk to each other, only through phone-calls about the case, so Penelope definitely didn't mind that the brunette had woken her up.

''Long...'' Tara sighed into the receiver, ''This case is so frustrating, and I just can't wait to be home again'' she said.

''Yeah, I can't wait for you to be home again, either'' Penelope said, the house just feeling too big and empty whenever the brunette was away on a case.

''Babe, I'm _so_ sorry I couldn't be there with you tonight'' Tara said, feeling like she should apologize, even though she couldn't have done anything to prevent this.

''It's okay, Love bug'' Penelope told her, ''I know we've got an important job'' she said, ''So as long as you catch the Unsub, and come home safely to me, all is good''.

''I know, and we will eventually catch that bastard'' Tara said, ''But I still would've rather been home with you celebrating, than be out here on a case, alone'' she told her.

''I know'' Penelope replied with a tender smile, ''Are you in bed now?'' she asked, as she heard the rustling of covers in the background noise.

''Yeah...we called it a day about an half hour ago'' Tara told her, sinking further into the soft material that surrounded her body, ''I really miss you'' the brunette said, ''The bed feels too big, and too empty, without you in it''.

''It's the same here'' Penelope sighed, ''I miss you like crazy, too'' she told her, as she looked over to the empty spot beside her. This was definitely _not_ the anniversary both of them had in mind.

''I'm sorry'' Tara said, ''I _really_ wish I could've been home with you''.

''Don't apologize, my love'' Penelope told her, ''We know how unpredictable Unsub's are, and how demanding the job can be'' the blonde said, reassuring her girlfriend that she shouldn't feel guilty, or sorry, about being away on their special night. It wasn't like the brunette did that on purpose, or anything. ''Besides, we can always make up for lost time when you get back home'' Penelope said, her voice low and sensual, as both knew exactly what the blonde was implying.

''We definitely can'' Tara said, the sexy- and smooth voice of her girlfriend instantly turning her on, ''You know...I could always give you a taste of what I had planned tonight, now'' Tara told her seductively.

''Are you implying phone sex?'' Penelope questioned with a raised eyebrow, enjoying this phone call more and more.

''I am'' Tara nodded.

''I like it'' Penelope bit her lip.

''Darling, I'll make you love it'' Tara told her cocky.

''That sounds like a challenge I'm totally up for'' Garcia grinned, lust settling in her lower belly, as she was fully awake now, and definitely not in the mood to go back to sleep any time soon.

''That's what I like to hear'' Tara smirked, ''So...Sweetheart, what are you wearing?'' Tara asked, her voice dripping with desire, as both of them saw their night start to get a little bit brighter.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/n: Hiya, I know I'm a day late, but the holidays are coming soon, so my life has been a little busier than usual. So that means that this month will probably be a month with not many updates on this story, but I promise you that from the new year on I'll be posting more. That being said, I really,** _ **really**_ **loved this weeks episode! I just love Aisha Tyler and her character Tara Lewis, she's such a great actress, and she has definitely become one of my faves (as you probably already could tell). Well that's all there is to say, so lets get on with the story. This is a special chapter by the way, but you probably will find that out soon enough yourself!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Eventually Friday came around, and after nine long and grueling days, the team was finally able to catch the Unsub and close the case. And after finishing up everything with the locals there, they were finally on their way back home again, which was something they all longed for.

Exhausted and drained from the previous nine days, the team eventually arrived at the bureau again, and Tara right away made her way to her girlfriend's lair. She on purpose hadn't told Penelope that they were coming home, because she thought it would be a nice surprise, but when she opened the door to the blonde's lair she found that all the lights were already off, and everything else was shut down, which confused her. Usually Penelope stayed at the bureau until at least seven pm, and it was now only 5.30 pm.

Frowning, Tara closed the office door again, and made her way to the bullpen, where everyone else was already unpacking their stuff and writing out reports.

''Hey, guys'' Tara said, as she walked into the bullpen, ''Do you know where Penelope is?'' she asked them.

''She isn't in her office?'' JJ replied, as she looked over to the taller woman.

''No'' Tara shook her head, ''Everything is shut down'' she said, ''So I thought maybe you guys know where she is, because she hasn't told me anything about leaving early or something''.

''I don't know'' JJ said, ''She hasn't told us anything either, did she?'' the blonde questioned, as she looked over to Emily and Reid, who were shaking their heads, confirming that they didn't know anything about it either.

''No, as far as I know, she hasn't told me anything either'' Emily told Tara, ''But look at your desk'' she said, as she pointed to the brunette's desk where an envelope, addressed to Tara, lay upon.

''What's that?'' Tara furrowed her brows, as she walked over to her desk, dropping her go-bag on her chair, before picking up the envelope. Turning around she leaned against her desk, before opening up the envelope, and taking out the card that was in it. Curiously the brunette looked the card over and saw that the outside was completely filled with red hearts, while the inside was filled with handwritten words.

 _Hello, my Love,_

 _I know you're probably wondering where I am right now, because I know you look for me the moment you're back from a case, and step foot on our floor._

 _But, before I'm going to tell you where you can find me, I want to tell you something else._

 _Something you probably already know, but I'm going to tell you anyway._

 _I've been through a lot in my life, from losing people, to gaining people, to loving people, and losing them again._

 _But never, in my whole life, could I have imagined that I would meet someone as special, as kind, as amazing, as strong, and as magical as you._

 _And that's what you are to me, magic!_

 _You make me feel feelings and things I didn't even know existed._

 _You make me feel safe, brave, empowered, strong, and loved._

 _All the things I've longed to feel my whole entire life, and you give them to me every single day, for free._

 _And everyday I wake up feeling lucky, and thinking I can't love you any more than I already do, but then you do something, like telling me that I'm beautiful, and I fall even deeper in love with you._

 _What I'm trying to tell you is that,_

 _I love you._

 _I'm in love with you._

 _You're the love of my life._

 _And you're my forever._

 _Love, Penelope._

 _PS: meet me at home!_

Tara could feel tears stinging her eyes, and her heart swell double its size, as she read the love letter Penelope wrote her. A love declaration that was so sweet that she couldn't do anything but love the woman even more.

''Why are you crying?'' Reid asked concerned, as he noticed the stray tear that had escaped the corner of Tara's eye.

''What?'' Tara looked up to her colleague, quickly wiping away the tear from her cheek, as she felt overcome with all kinds of emotions after reading the kindest, most loving, love declaration she has ever gotten in her life.

''Why are you crying?'' Reid repeated, ''Is something wrong?'' he asked.

''No, no'' Tara shook her head, understanding how the state she was in right now could come over as if something was wrong, ''No, there's definitely nothing wrong'' she told him, ''Everything is actually _really_ good'' she smiled, ''And that's why I'm heading home right now'' she said, as she picked up her bag, ''Good night, and have a nice weekend'' she told them all, before heading out of the bullpen and making her way home. All the while her mind was wondering what Penelope had planned for them, because that card definitely told her that _something_ was happening tonight.

''Thank you, you have a good weekend too'' JJ told her, but her words fell on deaf ears, as she watched the brunette walk away, ''What was up with that?'' she raised an eyebrow, as she looked back to her fellow co-workers.

''Well...I think our favorite technical analyst has something planned'' Emily told her, a smile growing on her lips, as she probably knew what the blonde was up to.

''Did she tell you?'' JJ asked, knowing that Emily and Penelope have been secretive for the past few weeks, and she wondered if that had anything to do with what just happened.

''No, she didn't tell me anything'' Prentiss replied, shaking her head, ''But I've got an idea of what it could be about, though'' she told her.

''What?'' Reid asked, wanting to know too.

''Something along the lines of their one year anniversary'' she told them with a wink.

''Oh, _oh..._ '' JJ said, as she caught on, ''It looks like they'll be having an amazing weekend, than'' she said with a chuckle.

''Oh yeah, they definitely will'' Emily said with a smirk.

* * *

Tara sped her way through traffic as fast as she could, wanting to be home as soon as possible, because she had a feeling that whatever Penelope has planned for tonight was something special, _really_ special. Some ideas popped up in her mind, as she thought about all the kinds of things her girlfriend could've possibly planned, but no matter how many thoughts went through her head, she still had no clue as to what was waiting for her at home.

Finally arriving home, Tara quickly parked her car in the garage, and made her way inside the house. Stepping foot into the hallway, she put her bag down and shrugged of her coat, hanging it up on the coat rack, before kicking off her shoes, but when she bent down to put her shoes neatly in their place, she noticed the blood red rose petals scattered around on the floor. And when she looked further into the hallway, she saw that the rose petals formed a pathway that led from the hallway all the way to the kitchen.

Slowly Tara followed the rose petals, a tender smile forming on her lips, as she made her way into the kitchen, where the petals ended. Her gaze came up from the ground and the sight infront of her immediately took her breath away. There, in the middle of the room, was the table set for two, with candles lighting up the darkness, and more rose petals scarcely scattered around on the table, as soft music, _their_ _music_ , played in the background.

But the actual cause of taking her breath away, was her girlfriend that stood next to the table, dressed in the most gorgeous red dress, which Penelope knew Tara loved on her, and the most perfect smile on her face. A smile that lit up the room in a way the candles never could. From the moment they met Penelope's smile captivated her, and every time the blonde formed her soft lips into a smile the brunette was a goner, and right now was no different. Right now Tara only had eyes for Penelope, and it almost made her forget about the table that was set for two, that was waiting for them.

''What's all of this for?'' Tara's smile widened even more, as she walked further into the kitchen, and up to her lover.

''This...'' Penelope gestured to the table, ''Is my surprise dinner for our one year anniversary'' she told the brunette, ''I know how guilty and sad you felt that you couldn't be here on our anniversary, so I moved everything up so we could celebrate it when you got home''.

''You're the best you know that'' Tara grinned, as she circled her arms around Penelope's waist.

''I know, because you tell me that every single day'' Garcia's lips turned up into a smile, as she reached up to press a kiss to the brunette's lips.

''And I will keep telling you that for the rest of our lives'' Tara told her, before dropping another kiss on the blonde's lips, having gone too long without having touched her girlfriend, and wanting to take advantage of the moment.

But after a few lingering kisses Penelope started to giggle and pull away, ''This wasn't the order of how I had planned this night'' she said, ''How nice it is though'' she winked.

''How did you plan the night?'' Tara asked.

''Well...I thought we could first eat'' Penelope told her, as she wiped away some smeared out lipstick from the brunette's lips with her thumb, ''And after that, I thought we could watch a movie, or play some music and just enjoy our time together'' she said, ''And _then_...then I thought that our bedroom would be a great place to spend the rest of our night in'' she smiled, as she looked up at Tara, her eyes showing all the promises for tonight.

''Well, I can't go and break the rules of the night, can I?'' Tara said jokingly, as she let go of the blonde.

''No, you can't'' Penelope said, as she pulled out a chair for Tara to sit in.

''Thank you'' Tara smiled, as she sat down.

''You're very much welcome, M'Lady'' Garcia replied, as she walked to the otherside of the table and sat down in her own chair, before picking up the bottle of wine and pouring two glasses for them, ''Here you go'' Penelope said, as she handed over one of the glasses to her girlfriend, before picking up the other one for herself.

''Happy anniversary, Penelope'' Tara said softly, as she held up the glass.

''Happy anniversary, my Love'' Penelope's lips curved up into a soft smile, before clinking their glasses together.

* * *

After they had eaten their dinner, drank some wine, and enjoyed a long and playful conversation, the music changed to a slow song. A song they both adored, and it made Penelope perk up, and stand up. Tara, who had also noticed that their song had come on, watched every step her girlfriend made towards her.

''May I take this dance, my Chocolate Angel?'' Garcia asked, as she extended out her hand to the brunette.

''Of course you may'' Tara's lips turned up into a grin, as she took Penelope's hand.

The blonde led them to an open spot next to the table, before she pulled the brunette closer to her and circled an arm around Tara's waist, her hand resting on the small of her back, as her other hand kept a hold on her girlfriend's hand that she was already holding. The brunette realizing where her lover wanted to go with this, let her free hand rest on Penelope's shoulder, as they started to sway together to the song. Slowly, their joined hands lowered until they rested in between their bodies, against Penelope's chest.

Taken by the moment, they got lost in each other, their eyes connected, as they both silently wished that time could stop and stand still, so they could feel and be like this forever, because it was a perfect moment. It was _the_ perfect moment.

The song eventually came to an end, bringing them back to reality again, but despite that they didn't let go of each other, they just tenderly kept looking at each other with soft smiles on their lips. Tara eventually leaned down and gently placed her lips on Penelope's, leaving the sweetest and slowest kiss they probably have ever shared.

After a while Penelope slowly pulled back, but let her lips linger for a moment above Tara's, their heavy breaths mingling together, before they pulled away from each other completely, and Penelope looked up into the soulful brown eyes of her girlfriend.

''Wait here'' Garcia said just above a whisper, as she let go of the woman, quickly making her way to the table, where she picked something up, before making her way back to the waiting brunette. Tara just looked on at whatever her girlfriend was doing, while trying to figure out what was going on.

''My Love...'' Penelope said, as she stood infront of the brunette again, nerves clear as day in her demeanor, as she for a second bit her lip, before letting out a nervous chuckle, ''God...I don't know exactly what to say, because I think my card has said so much already, and what I'm probably going to tell you will only be a repeat of that, but here it goes'' she told her, before taking a deep breath.

''Tara, I love you, I'm in love with you, you're the love of my life, and you're my forever'' Penelope said, looking up into her girlfriend's eyes, as she repeated the most important words she had written down in the card, ''I still can't believe I met someone like you. Someone so special, so kind, so brave, and so strong. And someone who just makes my life better by just being there. I never even knew that existed until I met you, and now I can't live without you'' she told her, ''You're my safe place, my light in the dark, my home, my everything, and there's nothing more that I want than spend the rest of my life with you'' the blonde said, as her heart started to beat faster and faster the closer she got to asking the most important question she's probably going to ask in her whole life, ''So, Tara Lewis, will you marry me?'' Penelope asked, finishing her heartfelt speech by dropping to one knee and opening up the small box in her hand, revealing a beautiful white-gold engagement ring.

Tara's eyes widened, her heart beating fast, as tears gathered in her eyes. For a moment Tara didn't know what to say, she was too overwhelmed to form any words, which was something that kind of worried Penelope a bit.

''Tara, if this is too soon...or if you don't want to...'' Garcia looked concerned up at her girlfriend, thinking she might've made a mistake, as she started to stand back up again, closing the ring box.

''Woman, don't you dare stand up'' Tara said, stopping her girlfriend from standing up by putting a hand on her shoulder, ''Don't ever think that this is _too_ soon, or that I don't want to, because I want to, _trust_ me. I'm just a little overwhelmed, that's all'' she told her softly, ''And yes _of course_ I want to marry you'' Tara's lips broke out into a wide grin.

''Really?'' Penelope's eyebrows shot up, her eyes twinkling from happiness, as a smile was growing on her lips.

''Yes, _really_ '' Tara nodded, as she pulled the blonde into a standing position again, and pulling her into a tight hug. Her heart was bursting with love, as her stomach was filled with butterflies and happiness, while her eyes contained all the love and feelings she felt for the woman in her arms, as she wrapped her mind around the fact what she was going to marry the love of her life.

''I love you so much'' Garcia breathed out, hugging her now fiance back, as she felt all the nerves slide from her shoulders after having heard the word 'Yes'.

''I love you, too'' Tara said, before she pulled the blonde into a searing kiss.

When they pulled away from each other, Penelope realized that she still had the engagement ring in the box and took it out, before sliding it onto Tara's left ring-finger, breathing a sigh of relieve when she saw that it was a perfect fit.

''It's gorgeous'' Tara said in awe, as she held up her hand and took a good look at the white-gold, twisted, diamond ring, which must've cost a fortune

''Only the best for you'' Penelope said softly, a loving and affectionate smile illuminating her face.

''You're amazing, you know that'' Tara said, as she turned her gaze from the ring to her fiance, ''No, actually, you're more than _just_ amazing, you're exceptional'' the brunette told her, ''And this is definitely the best day of my life'' she grinned.

''This is the best day of my life, too'' Penelope said, a grin also painting her lips, as she pulled the brunette closer to her by her waist, ''Well, at least until the day we get married, of course'' she told her.

''Yes, of course'' Tara said, as she put her arms around the blonde's shoulders, ''But, for _now_ , this is the best day of our lives'' she smiled, looking down at the blonde.

''Definitely'' Penelope agreed wholeheartedly, before leaning up and pulling her fiance into a kiss again.

* * *

 **A/n: I know, it's a short chapter, but I wanted this one only to be about the engagement. I hope you enjoyed/liked it, and if you want give it a like, follow- or review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/n: Hiya, I wish everyone a belated happy new year, I hope you all have enjoyed your holidays. So new year, new chapter! I know in the last month and a half updates haven't been frequent, and I can't make any promises that, that will change soon. I do hope I'll be able to post a chapter at least once a month, but that's it, so you have to bear with me for now. I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter, and favor/review/follow this story, it still means a lot to me!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

The next morning Penelope woke up with a completely satisfied feeling, and a small smile on her face, as she thought back to last nights events. And when she opened her eyes, and looked beside her to the gorgeous woman laying next to her, who was still peacefully sleeping, she couldn't help but smile a little wider.

Taking a moment to take it all in, Penelope relished in the amazing feeling of waking up next to her fiance. She still felt so giddy about the fact that she could even call Tara her girlfriend, and now she can call her so much more, it really felt like living a dream. A beautiful and wonderful dream, she never wanted to wake up from.

Feeling a small movement against her neck, she realized that Tara was waking up now too. It was funny how most of the nights, when they're together, they eventually throughout the night turn to each other and pull each other close. Like now, Tara had taken a hold on her waist, and buried her face in her blonde curls. Something she, of course, didn't mind at all.

''Hey sleepy head'' Penelope said softly, when her eyes met her fiance's dark brown eyes.

''Morning, beautiful'' Tara drawled out, which was followed by a yawn.

''Ten hours of sleep not enough for you?'' Garcia chuckled.

''No, I could actually stay in bed all day if I wanted to, just as long as it's with you'' Tara said, as she moved her head up a little, so she was eye-level with Penelope.

''I doubt that would only be for sleep, though'' Penelope said, a smirk on her lips, as she knew exactly why Tara could spend a whole day in bed with her.

''Yeah, all right, you caught me'' Tara replied, a sleepy smile forming on her lips, as she wasn't quite awake yet, ''And I have to say, this has definitely been the best night's sleep I've had in a long, _long_ time'' the brunette said, before leaning over to steal a kiss from her girlfriend.

''Yeah, I slept really good too'' Penelope smiled, feeling well rested too.

''It probably has something to do with this one'' Tara said, as she unwrapped her left arm from around Penelope's waist, and held up her hand in the air infront of them.

''The ring?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, ''The ring made you sleep better'' she said, confused, ''That's...uhh...nothing I've ever heard before''.

''Of course it's not the ring'' Tara chuckled, understanding the blonde's confusion, ''It's all the things that happened last night, including your proposal, that made me sleep like a baby'' she said, her gaze wandering from the ring to Penelope's face, connecting her eyes with the blonde's cherry brown ones.

''Well, than I understand exactly what you mean'' Garcia's lips curled up into a sweet smile as a sparkle, Tara has noticed has been there since last night, appeared in her eyes.

''Do you know that you got this sparkly light in your eyes whenever you look at me, or talk about our relationship'' Tara said just above a whisper, as she stared into her fiance's dark brown orbs, looking from one eye to the other, seeing the sparkle intensify the longer she looked.

''I have?'' Penelope raised both her eyebrows in surprise, not having heard that before, not even from Tara herself, as her cheeks flushed a beautiful red.

''Yeah, you have'' Tara slowly nodded her head, not wanting her eyes to lose sight of the sparkle. The sparkle that makes her feel so special and important, like she's the only one.

''Well...it must have something to do with you than'' Penelope said softly.

''Yeah, probably'' Tara replied, completely drawn in by the intense gaze Penelope has on her.

''I have to say though'' Garcia's lips formed up into a loving smile, ''Your eyes reflect the same thing when you look at me'' she said, having noticed for a while now the way Tara has been staring at her, with that specific look in her eyes. And it's not hard to catch something like that when the person is full-on staring at you. Which Penelope actually found really endearing and heartwarming, that there was someone out there who has so much interest in her, that they couldn't even keep their eyes off of her.

''They do?'' Tara having the same surprised reaction as Penelope to that.

''Yes, they do'' Penelope nodded, ''And it feels amazing seeing it'' she said, pulling the brunette closer to her by her waist until there was no space between their naked bodies left, ''Because I feel the exact same way, and it's really nice to see that it's reciprocated''.

''Darling, that's something you won't ever have to worry about'' Tara said, ''I will always reciprocate your love, because there's no one else for me but you'' the brunette told her, her face softening even more at the small but important heartfelt words between them.

''There's no one else for me but you, too'' Penelope replied, letting her hand come up to cup the side of Tara's face, softly stroking her cheek with her thumb.

''Isn't it amazing how s _omehow_ the universe does these things'' Tara let out a content sigh, their eyes still connected except for the moments that they needed to blink. For some reason Tara didn't want to miss any detail of this moment. For some reason she had to take it all in, and lock it away somewhere in her head and heart.

''What things?'' Penelope questioned, not sure what her lover was talking about, as she nuzzled their noses' together, the feelings and touches between them feeling electric.

''Things like love, like _true_ love'' Tara told her, feeling the same exact electric feeling take over her whole body, ''I didn't even believe in stuff like that, because I've known from an early age that life isn't a fairytale. That real life isn't perfect. But right here, right now, with you, feels damn near close to perfection to me''.

''That's because we've created our own love, our own story, and that's what makes it feel like something out of this world'' Penelope told her, letting her hand lower to Tara's neck and stroke the bare skin there, ''That's what makes it feel like perfection'' she smiled gently, ''People are powerful and magical like that''.

''No, not people'' Tara said, not agreeing fully with that, ''Just you'' she told the blonde honestly, ''You've been the only one that has had this affect on me'' she said, her fingers slowly tracing the length of Garcia's bare back.

''Really?'' Penelope smiled softly, feeling even more special after hearing that.

''Yeah'' Tara nodded, ''And, you know, what your card described yesterday, about your feelings for me, is exactly what I feel for you too, every single second of the day''.

''I know'' Garcia said, tears stinging her eyes at the sweetness of the moment, and because she knew Tara would never lie to her about such things.

''Good'' Tara said, her hand trailing up Penelope's body and taking a hold on the side of her face, ''I would hate it, if I couldn't make you realize and believe how much you mean to me, because you mean more than anything to me''.

''You really know how to make me feel special and loved, don't you?'' Penelope's soft smile turned into a grin, as the twinkle in her eyes brightened, as she blinked away the couple of tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

''I try my best'' Tara's smile brightened too, at the way Penelope's face lit up. She sometimes still couldn't believe how lucky she was to have found an amazing woman like Penelope, who loves her unconditionally, and who wants to spend the rest of her life with her.

''I know you do'' Penelope's face softened, as she leaned over for a kiss, ''It's what makes me love you more and more, every single day'' she whispered against Tara's lips before closing the distance between them, pulling the brunette into a slow and deep kiss.

Penelope was the first one to eventually pull away, which made Tara moan out in displeasure, because she wasn't done yet. She wasn't ready to let go and let the moment pass by without indulging in it completely. So Tara chased Penelope's lips and pulled her back into another kiss, one that was more tongue and teeth. A bit of roughness to balance out the sweetness between them.

Eventually, after air became a necessity, Tara gave in and pulled away, her heavy breath mingling with Penelope's, as they both slowly opened their eyes and stared at one another, ''God, I hope this will never end'' Tara spoke up, her voice a little hoarse.

''Me neither'' Garcia told her, still feeling dazed by their kiss, ''It seems like it just gets stronger and more powerful with every kiss'' she said, not knowing how that was even possible.

''It does seem like that, doesn't it'' Tara said, finally having caught her breath and being able to think straight.

''It does'' Penelope nodded, ''It's weird actually, isn't it?'' she looked thoughtfully, like she was really thinking about how that was even remotely possible, which Tara had to chuckle at. Especially because of the cute face her fiance always pulls whenever she's in deep thought.

''Yeah, but it feels so good'' Tara smiled, pecking the blonde's lips, her own lips still tingling from moments before and wanting to prolong that feeling. It felt too good to not relish and dwell in it.

''Definitely'' Garcia smiled softly back, before her eyes caught the alarm clock on the bedside table, and she saw that it was already noon, ''Love bug, as much as I like to stay in bed all day with you doing this, there's still a lot of cleaning that needs to be done downstairs'' the blonde sighed.

''Can't we leave that till tonight or something'' Tara pouted, not ready to let her curvy lover go and step into the world of reality again.

''Nope, we can't'' Penelope shook her head, ''And the sooner we start, the sooner we're done'' she said, as she let go of Tara and got out of bed. She knew that if she didn't take the lead in this, that Tara wasn't going to let them leave the bed, and their bedroom, any time soon.

''Only because you say so'' Tara sighed heavily, turning around and climbing out of bed too.

''Don't pout'' Garcia came up beside her, kissing her shoulder, ''Because you do realize that the sooner we're done, the sooner you can take me back to bed again, right'' she said with a saucy smile on her lips and a wink, before slapping Tara on her ass, making the taller woman let out a squeal, ''Come on Babe, lets get showered, dressed and downstairs'' she told her fiance, before leaving the brunette standing alone in their bedroom, as Tara watched the blonde disappear into the bathroom.

''There is a devilish side to that woman'' Tara shook her head with a chuckle, as she rubbed the stinging spot on her ass, ''Which is actually sexy as hell'' the brunette mumbled, as she followed Penelope into the bathroom, a shower actually sounding really good.

* * *

After they were finally done cleaning everything up, they were done much later than they had hoped, but they could blame the rose petals for that, because that was quite a chore, especially because Penelope had scattered them around the whole hallway and part of the kitchen. But finally around 5.30 pm they were done, and could finally enjoy the little time they still had left of their Saturday. So they decided to order some pizza and put the tv on, and just laze around on the couch.

''I really don't get why people like these reality shows so much'' Tara said 15 minutes into the show. No matter how long she watched these kind of series, she still couldn't see the appeal of it, ''I didn't even know you were into these kind of shows''.

''I'm not, I just think it's funny'' Penelope told her, ''All the gossip, and drunks, and hook ups and stuff. It's hilarious and juicy as hell'' she said, ''And you do realize that most of these reality shows are mostly scripted these days, right?'' she told the brunette, before taking a bite from her pizza slice.

''Yes, I know that'' Tara nodded, knowing that, that was true, but still not able to see the appeal of it.

''Besides, these shows tend to make me feel a lot smarter'' Penelope said, ''Although sometimes incredibly stupid at the same time, too''.

''No shit'' Tara laughed, ''I understand why you would feel stupid watching this, because while they earn a shit load of money by just playing a part, and party like they'll never die, we have to work almost 24/7 for so much less''.

''It almost makes you consider trying something like that too'' Penelope said, though not meaning it completely serious, because she could honestly never see herself doing something like that.

''I could _never_ do that'' Tara said, not even thinking twice about that option, because she won't ever do anything like that in her life.

''Really?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, not believing that, because everyone has the ability to do a show like that, ''It's probably the easiest job you could have''.

''Maybe'' Tara shrugged, ''But on the otherhand look at how they're portrayed. Look at the image they all gain'' she said, ''I tell you, no matter the amount of money it could earn me, I would never do something like that'' Tara told the blonde, ''I could never live the rest of my life with an image like that''.

''Yeah, okay, I could never live the rest of my life with such an image too'' Penelope agreed, ''Especially because people tend to recognize you the most by what they know about you, and a show like that doesn't really put you in a positive light'' she said, as she turned her gaze back tot he tv, while going over the words her fiance just said in her head, because the woman really had a good point.

''Exactly, and would you want to always be remembered as the slutty drunk from a reality show?'' Tara said.

''No, definitely not'' Penelope shook her head, ''But that doesn't mean we can't see other people be that'' she said with a grin.

''As long as it makes you feel better'' Tara chuckled, picking up another slice of pizza out of the box, before sitting back and putting her feet up upon the coffeetable.

After watching the rest of the show, and eating all of the pizza, they cleaned the small mess they had made in the livingroom, before plopping back down on the couch again.

''Which movie do you want to watch?'' Tara asked the blonde, as she skimmed her fingers across the dvd's in the bookcase beside the tv, ''And _don't_ say Mamma Mia'' she added quickly, before Penelope even had time to register the question.

''But it's such a good movie'' Penelope defended one of her favorite movies.

''It is, but we've seen it eight times in the past year'' Tara told her, before picking one out herself.

''Hey, I didn't complain when I had to sit through every episode of Doctor Who with you, _twice_ '' Penelope pouted, although knowing she didn't have a case here, because she loved the Doctor Who series.

''Yeah, but that's because you love that show'' Tara laughed, ''So you couldn't complain in any way''.

''Yeah, yeah'' Penelope waved the brunette's words away, ''I was just giving you an example''.

''Sweetheart, next time we can watch Mamma Mia again, but right now we are watching Star Wars'' Tara said, holding up the dvd case, knowing they both like the movie, so no one could complain.

''Well, Chocolate Angel, forgive my complaining, because I love that movie too'' Penelope was quick to change her mind and be happy with the dvd choice.

''I know you do'' Tara smiled, as she put the dvd in the dvd player and pressed play, before she sat down next to her fiance.

''Come here'' Penelope opened her arms and let Tara snuggle up beside her, her left arm slinging around the brunette's shoulder, pulling her even closer.

''By the way, baby'' Tara spoke up, as her eyes caught the ring-less left ring finger of her fiance dangling over her shoulder, ''We still need to get you a ring, too'' she said, that thought actually having entered and not left her mind since last night.

''My Love, don't worry about that, I'll survive without a ring'' Penelope told her, ''I can wait until we get married for a ring'' she said.

''Maybe you can, but I can't'' Tara stated, protesting against that idea, ''You deserve an engagement ring, so the first moment we have time to go to the jewelry shop, we're getting you an engagement ring, okay'' she told the blonde pointedly, though her voice was gentle.

''Okay'' Garcia replied softly, knowing Tara was right. And secretly she actually wanted a ring that claimed her as Tara's. It's not like she needed the ring to confirm, or prove, their love, but it sure would be a great reminder, ''Next weekend, if you're home, we're going to the jewelry shop, okay'' Penelope said, a loving smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

''Okay'' Tara's lips curled up into a sweet smile, happy her fiance agreed, because she kinda already did some ring searching herself, but hadn't bought one yet. So she really wanted to get one, more than ever now, for the beautiful blonde.

''But for now, lets watch the movie'' Penelope said, pulling Tara a little bit closer, as they settled down to watch the movie.

* * *

 **A/n: So I know that this was another shorter chapter, but I've decided to keep it at this length for now, mainly because otherwise the chapters get too long, or too short. I hope you enjoyed it though, and there are still** _ **so**_ **many things to come, that you don't have to worry about it being over soon. I've got too much still planned to keep it hanging!**

 **Love, ciao.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/n: This chapter has been rewritten!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

''You think they will notice?'' Tara entwined her hand with Penelope's, as they walked the small distance from their cars to the parking garage elevators, her engagement ring brushing against the blonde's palm, reminding her even more of the events from a couple of days ago.

''I don't know'' Penelope replied with a shake of her head, ''But lets find out'' she smiled, as she pushed the button for the elevator.

''Wait...what are you suggesting?'' Tara questioned, looking down at her fiance with a slight frown.

''I'm not suggesting anything'' Penelope said innocently, ''I'm just saying let them find out'' she told the brunette, ''See how good of a profiler they really are'' she winked.

''Okay'' Tara said with a shrug, going with it, though not knowing if she was actually able to pull it off because of her excitement, ''Lets find out how long it will take them'' she smiled, just as the doors of the elevator opened up infront of them.

* * *

''Good morning'' JJ called out into the bullpen, before noticing that besides Tara and Penelope, she was the only one in their department.

''Good morning, my Lovely'' Penelope chirped from her place on Tara's desk, while her fiance sat in her desk chair, ''How was your weekend?'' she asked, before taking a sip from her cup of coffee.

''Could've been better'' JJ sighed, putting her bag down on top of her desk, which was adjacent to Tara's, before taking off her coat and hanging it over the back of her chair, ''Both Will and Henry caught a stomach bug on Friday, so they've spend the whole weekend in bed with me being their personal nurse'' she said, as she sat down in her desk chair.

''How are they doing now?'' Garcia asked, her voice and features laced with concern for Will and her godson.

''They're doing better, they got some medication from the doctor, so they should be fine again in a couple of days'' JJ told her, assuring her friend that there was nothing to worry about.

''I'm glad they're doing better'' Tara said softly, ''Being ill is definitely not a party''.

''No it's not'' JJ shook her head, ''And I'm glad Michael and I haven't caught anything, because that would've been something, all four of us sick'' the blonde said with a chuckle.

''You know you can always call us, right?'' Garcia told her, ''I wouldn't mind taking care of you guys, if you were all sick'' Penelope said.

''Me neither'' Tara said, willing to do the same for her friends and family.

''Thank you, that's really sweet'' JJ gave them a gentle smile, appreciating the care, ''So, how was your weekend?'' she asked, changing the subject, as she knew the two had an anniversary to make up for, so there should definitely be something to talk about.

''Our weekend was amazing'' Penelope smiled wide, as she thought back to a couple of nights ago.

''Yes, we definitely had an amazing weekend'' Tara said, a loving smile on her lips, as she exchanged a glance with Penelope.

''That's good to hear'' JJ said, a smile forming on her own lips when she saw the look pass between the pair, ''Did anything special happen?'' the blonde questioned with a raised eyebrow, having noticed the glow that seemed to surround the couple, so she knew something good must've happened.

Tara's lips turned up into a beaming smile, as she knew she was going to fail Penelope's idea of wanting to let their co-workers guess. She was just too damn happy about their engagement that she wanted to shout it from the rooftops, instead of keeping it inside until people figured it out, so she excitedly said, ''Yes, we got engaged!''.

''O my God'' JJ's eyes widened, her face breaking out into a wide grin as she heard the words, ''Congratulations'' she quickly stood up and made her way around the desks and to the pair, pulling them into a hug.

''Thank you'' Penelope laughed at the enthusiasm of her friend, as she pulled out of the hug.

''I want to know everything'' JJ said, as she clasped her hands together infront of her, ''I want to see the ring. I want to know who proposed to who. I want to know _everything_ '' JJ rambled, she was just so happy for her friends. God knows they both deserve all the happiness they could get, and so much more.

''Want to know everything about what?'' Rossi's voice cut through their conversation, making them turn their heads around and look over to the Senior agent, who was walking up to them.

''About Penelope and Tara's engagement!'' JJ told him, before the couple could even say anything themselves.

''You seem to be more thrilled about it than we are'' Tara said amused, though appreciating the excitement a lot.

''I'm just happy that good things are happening around here again'' JJ shrugged, though backing off now, so the pair could have their spotlight.

''Who isn't'' Rossi smiled softly, glad to hear some good news again too, ''I assume congratulations are in order'' he said, approaching them.

''You assumed completely right, my favorite Italian'' Penelope smiled up at him, as she got pulled into a hug by him.

''So when's the wedding?'' Rossi asked, letting Garcia go and pulling Tara in for a hug.

''We _just_ got engaged, we haven't even thought about that'' Tara chuckled, exchanging a glance with Penelope, who was chuckling too.

''The moment we set a date, we'll make sure you'll be the first one to know, okay?'' Penelope promised him.

''Sounds like a great idea'' Rossi nodded.

''You all look happy, what happened?'' Prentiss, followed by Reid and Hotch, walked up to the small group gathered in the middle of the bullpen.

''We got engaged'' Tara bit her lip, as she held up her left hand, where a beautiful silver gold ring was sparkling brightly.

''Wait...you finally did it?'' Prentiss face split into a bright smile, ''You finally popped the question?''.

''Yes, I finally did'' Penelope nodded enthusiastically, already completely forgotten about the whole guessing game thingy, just like Tara.

''Congratulations'' Reid smiled, as he put his messenger bag down on his desk, before going over to the engaged couple.

''Yes, a big congrats'' Hotch said with one of his rare smiles, as the whole team exchanged hugs and congratulations with the happy couple, before settling down and questioning the pair on how and what happened.

''Can I see the ring?'' Prentiss asked. She had seen the ring once before, when Penelope took her ring shopping and had purchased it, but that was some months ago.

''Of course'' Tara smiled, extending out the hand that held the ring.

''It's gorgeous'' JJ said, when she got a good look at it, too, ''You really went all out, didn't you?'' the blonde looked up at Penelope.

''I did'' Penelope nodded, a light rose blush painting her cheeks, ''I thought I'm only getting married once, so I shouldn't hold back'' she told them.

''I actually always thought you said that you had a fear for marriage, or something like that'' Reid said, vividly remembering Penelope saying something like that a while ago.

''I had...sort of'' Penelope told him with a nod, not having realized that people actually still remembered that, because it's been years since she had said that, ''But than I met the right person and all my fears flew out of the window'' the blonde said, as she glanced up at Tara with a tender look, sharing a loving smile with the brunette, while feeling no fears at all when it came to the woman standing beside her.

''You really know how to make me love you more, don't you'' Tara's smile softened even more, as she leaned over for a quick peck.

''I only tell the truth about my feelings, my Love'' Garcia told her with a shrug, when they pulled away from each other.

''You guys are so cute'' JJ smiled, which made the pair blush.

''Thanks'' Penelope said, with a now very bright and evident red tint on her cheeks.

''I hate to do this'' Hotch sighed, as he looked up from his phone, ''But I have to cut this celebration short, we caught a case'' he told them apologetically, as he held up his phone to show everyone the message he got, which got him a round of sighs and groans in return. No one really in the mood yet to go and catch another Unsub, though knowing they had no other choice. So they all scattered and gathered all the things they needed, before making their way to the conference room, so they could go over the case.

''There goes my hope of going home tonight'' Tara sighed, as she picked up a few things from her desk she needed. The brunette had really hoped that today would be a slow day, so she could go home tonight together with her fiance, but she was in no such luck.

''Chocolate angel...'' Penelope circled an arm around Tara's waist, making the taller woman turn to her and look down at her, ''You know the job'' Penelope said, though feeling the same way.

''I know, I know'' Tara nodded her head, knowing that fully, but that didn't mean she had to like it all the time, ''I'm just going to miss you, that's all I guess'' the brunette said with a shrug.

''I'm going to miss you, too'' Garcia's face softened, as she pulled her fiance closer to her, ''But this is no different than the last time you went away on a case'' the blonde said, ''Remember, our relationship has been like this since the beginning''.

''But that's the thing, I _know_ that it's been like that since the beginning'' Tara said, ''But somehow, for some reason, it feels different going away now''.

''I think that's because we've gotten so much closer over the past year, and we want to be with each other more than we want to be away from each other'' Penelope told her, expressing her thoughts and feelings.

''Yeah, okay, but you would think that it would actually become _easier_ the longer we're together'' Tara replied, ''At least, that's what I've noticed with normal couples'' she said.

''Yeah, but like you said, those are _normal_ couples'' Penelope joked, a smile curving her lips upwards.

''Hey, are you calling us weird?'' Tara raised an eyebrow.

''I would take that as a compliment, my Dear'' Rossi called out to the brunette from the door of the conference room, interrupting their intimate moment.

''Yeah...okay, I rather be weird than boring, that's true'' the brunette smiled.

''I completely agree with that'' Penelope smiled too.

''Now that you guys agreed on that, can you two join us?'' Rossi asked them, ''Because Hotch wants to start the case'' he told them, feeling a tad bit bad for interrupting them, but knowing the job was calling them.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope immediately let go of Tara, and picked up her bag and tablet from her fiance's desk. Almost forgotten about the fact that they had work waiting on them.

''We'll be there in a sec'' Tara told the man, assuring Rossi they'll be there very shortly, as she too picked up the last things she needed, before the pair made their way to the conference room, ready to start another work week.

* * *

The team was in luck this time and could close the case, pack their bags, and come home after only four days, just in time for the weekend to start. Something Tara was really happy with, because she couldn't wait to go to the jewelry shop and finally buy an engagement ring for Penelope. And that's why on Saturday morning, at 9 pm, Tara was already wide awake making them breakfast.

''That smells delicious'' Penelope sleepily said, startling Tara, which in return made Penelope let out a laugh, ''Do you have a guilty conscious, Babe?'' the blonde joked, as she kissed her on her cheek, before leaning against the counter, watching her fiance make them eggs, toast and bacon. Instantly noticing that Tara had caught on, on the vegan kind of bacon for her.

''No, I just didn't hear you'' Tara replied, as she leaned over to get a real good morning kiss instead of a peck on her cheek, before turning back to her cooking.

''I missed you in bed when I woke up'' Penelope said, pushing herself away from the counter and helping the brunette by pouring them two cups of coffee.

''Yeah, I couldn't sleep anymore, so I thought I'd make us breakfast instead'' Tara told her, as she put their breakfast on plates.

''Which was a really great idea of you, because this smells amazing'' Penelope smiled, as she picked up one of the plates and her cup of coffee, Tara doing the same, before they both sat down at the kitchen table across from each other.

''Thank you'' Tara smiled back, ''I do know my way around a kitchen'' the brunette said, ''At least when it comes to breakfast'' she added.

''Not only the kitchen, my Love'' Garcia winked.

''Dirty talk, this early in the morning, you must be feeling good'' Tara teased, digging into her food.

''Don't tell me you don't love that about me'' Penelope told her with a smirk, before putting a forkful of eggs in her mouth.

''Sweetheart, you know I love that, and _so_ much more, about you'' Tara told her with a smile.

''That's what I like to hear'' Penelope grinned, ''So what have we planned for today?'' the blonde asked, taking a sip from her coffee.

''I thought we'd planned on going to the jewelry shop'' Tara said, ''Get you an engagement ring'' she added.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope said, suddenly being reminded of their talk last week.

''Don't tell me you forgot about it'' Tara looked up at the blonde with a raised eyebrow.

''No, no'' Penelope shook her head, ''It's just...this week has been pretty hectic, with the case and stuff, so it slipped my mind. That's all'' she told her, ''I can assure you that I could _never_ forget something like that. No matter how much I would try'' Penelope said, her lips pulling up into a loving smile, the one that's only reserved for Tara.

''Good'' Tara smiled softly.

''So what time did you have in mind to go into the city?'' Penelope asked.

''We got the whole weekend off, so I thought around noon'' Tara said, sipping her coffee, ''I thought we could go ring shopping, and then after that eat somewhere, and then make a start on buying Christmas presents'' she told the blonde.

''Sounds good'' Penelope said, ''Christmas is coming around soon, so we definitely need to start buying stuff''.

''Yes, including a Christmas tree and decorations'' Tara said, ''Because I barely had any of that, so we only have yours, which was actually less than I expected'' she told Penelope. She was really surprised when they moved all of their stuff into the house, that there was so little Christmas and decoration stuff between Penelope's things. The woman always struck everyone as the hoarder of things like that, especially because of her trinkets on her desk and around her apartment, but for some reason the blonde didn't have a lot of Christmas stuff.

''I know'' Penelope said with a nod, knowing that, ''But you've seen my old apartment, there was just no room for it. There was just no room to store stuff like that'' she told the brunette.

''I know'' Tara nodded, ''But that's why we have to buy them'' she said.

''Yes, and we'll do that'' Penelope said with a smile, ''But first I'm going to eat this delicious breakfast further'' she told her, before putting a piece of vegan bacon in her mouth.

''You better, because I didn't stand in the kitchen making breakfast for nothing'' Tara joked.

''That sounds _really_ dramatic, you know that'' Penelope teased.

''I just don't want my hard work to get cold'' Tara said matter of fact.

''Still dramatic'' the blonde giggled.

''Oh, shut up and eat your food'' Tara rolled her eyes, though a smile was on her lips.

''Yes, ma'am'' Penelope replied, her eyes shining with amusement, as they went further with eating.

* * *

A couple of hours later the pair walked the street of Washington DC in search for the perfect engagement ring for Penelope. Arriving at the jewelry shop Tara held the door open for her fiance and let her through, before following behind her. Both making their way to the ring section of the shop.

''Good afternoon, welcome to Jewelry Empire. I'm Casey Nelson, how can I help you?'' a tall redhead walked up to the newly engaged couple in long strides, a blinding smile on her lips.

''Hi, we're just looking, but thank you'' Tara told her, returning the smile.

''What are you looking for?'' Casey asked.

''An engagement ring'' Penelope told her.

''Oh...'' Casey perked up at the answer, ''We've got a great selection of engagement rings, follow me'' she told them, before walking away, the pair following her.

''Here we've got a tray full of male engagement rings'' Casey took out a tray from behind the cashier desk, putting it down on the counter, revealing a wide range of rings, from bigger to smaller ones, from gold to silver, and from a low to a very, _very_ high price, ''So...who's the lucky guy who gets proposed to?'' the redhead questioned, looking up to the two women, ''Which, by the way, is really modern'' she told them with a smile.

''Uhh...'' Penelope trailed off, exchanging a look with Tara, ''Actually, it's an engagement ring for me...from her'' the blonde pointed to the taller woman standing next to her.

''Oh...OH...I'm _so_ sorry'' Casey immediately apologized, a dark red blush flushing her face.

''Don't worry about it'' Tara gave her a gentle smile, ''It's all right'' the brunette waved the apology away, assuring the woman that it was no big deal.

''No, it's not all right'' Casey shook her head, feeling bad for misinterpreting the situation, ''I shouldn't have assumed''.

''Maybe...but it's no big deal, okay'' Penelope said softly.

''Okay'' Casey nodded, the red tint on her cheeks slowly fading away.

''All right, now that you know who the ring is for, can we see some?'' Tara questioned the woman.

''Yes, of course'' Casey nodded her head, as she picked up the tray from the counter and put it back where she got it from, before taking out another one, this one filled with female engagement rings, ''Congratulations, by the way'' the redhead said, a blinding smile back on her lips again, as she put the tray on the counter, showing the pair what there was to offer.

''Thank you'' Penelope and Tara replied in unison, both sporting a smile.

''Okay, lets get you an engagement ring'' Casey said, picking up the first ring in the tray and explaining to them what it was made off, and what the price was, before moving on to the next, until they finally found one they were happy with.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/n: New chapter after a long,** _ **long**_ **wait! I thought the premiere of the new season definitely deserved a new chapter, even though I've been stuck for a while now, not knowing how to exactly proceed with this story. Although you don't have to worry, because I still have quite some ideas left, so I** _ **will**_ **eventually finish this story. That's still the goal!**

 **A/n 2: This chapter is gonna be more M-rated than I've ever written, so if you don't want to read that skip the end of this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.**

* * *

''Hey, what are you doing?'' Tara questioned, as she walked into the livingroom, seeing her fiance curled up on the couch with her laptop.

''Just looking at some stuff for our wedding'' Penelope replied, not looking up from the screen.

''We haven't even set a date'' Tara chuckled, as she sat down closely next to the blonde, her gaze landing on the laptop screen, right away noticing that the site Penelope was looking at were for venues.

''I know, I know'' Garcia nodded, ''But I just wanted to check out some stuff'' she told her, ''There's no harm in looking, right?'' the blonde said.

''No, of course not'' Tara smiled, having had some ideas in her own head about how she wanted their wedding to be, too, ''So...'' the brunette trailed off, her voice sounding nervous, which immediately caught Penelope's attention.

''So...what?'' Garcia looked up at Tara, wondering what got her fiance all nervous.

''My Dad called'' Tara said, fiddling with her engagement ring.

''Okay...'' Penelope said slowly, ''And that makes you nervous _because_?'' the blonde raised an eyebrow, as she caught every little movement the brunette made, which told her that she wasn't just nervous but possibly slightly anxious too. Or so it seemed.

'' _Because_ he asked me if he could come down here for Christmas'' Tara told her, looking down at her hands.

''Okay...'' Penelope let the word drawl from her lips, still not understanding Tara's behavior. It's a good thing, right? When your father asks you to spend Christmas with him. At least, that's what she thought.

''What did you tell him?'' Penelope questioned, ''Because I won't mind him coming here, it would actually be nice spending the holidays with your family''.

''Really?!'' Tara's head shot up, as she looked back up to her fiance again.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope said, not seeing the big deal, ''He's going to be my father-in-law, so I have to eventually meet him, and get to know him, at some point anyway, so why not at Christmas''.

''Yeah, about that...'' Tara averted her eyes.

''About what?'' Penelope narrowed her eyes, eyeing the woman thoroughly.

''Uhh...my father _kinda_ doesn't know I'm with you'' Tara said, not daring to look Penelope in the eye when she told her this.

''Wait, are you kidding me!'' Garcia replied incredulously.

''Babe, I'm sorry'' Tara immediately apologized, knowing she was wrong for not telling her family, ''I just never found the right opportunity to tell him'' she told her, hoping that will lessen the hurt.

''And that makes it right'' Penelope said, sarcastically.

''No, of course not'' Tara shook her head, understanding that it wasn't right, _at all._

''So, you're telling me that in all the phone calls you made to your Dad in the past year, you've never even mentioned me?'' Garcia asked her, finding that unlikely, because why would Tara keep something _that_ important from her family.

''I've mentioned you'' Tara replied, ''He does know about you and the team, he just doesn't know we're together'' she told her, ''But it isn't like I talk to him often'' she added in her defense, ''And the couple of times I did talk to him were brief''.

''That might be true'' Penelope said, ''But we've been together for over a year now, there must've been at least _one_ moment you could've told him about our moving in together, or our engagement'' she told the brunette, ''Or at least that you're seeing me''.

''You're right'' Tara nodded, knowing her fiance was completely right, ''I should've told him. I'm sorry'' she apologized again, though knowing that an apology alone wouldn't make everything okay again.

''Yes, you should've told him'' Penelope huffed, really not happy with Tara at the moment.

''I know'' Tara nodded, her voice low and soft, ''And I feel _so_ bad for not telling him, and hurting you'' she said, ''That was never my intention'' the brunette told her.

Penelope sighed as she thought about it all. She couldn't deny that it hurt that Tara kept her a secret from her family. Well not a complete secret, her father did know she existed, he just didn't know the true nature of their relationship. But knowing that he did know who she was, only not what she was in his daughter's life, didn't actually make her feel any better.

''I'm really so, so, _so_ sorry'' Tara apologized again, hoping to somehow get in the good graces of her fiance again, because she knew she screwed up, ''And I know 'I'm sorry' isn't going to cut it, but I hope it's a start'' she said, as she looked directly into the cherry brown eyes of the blonde.

Penelope could see that Tara was really sorry about it and hadn't meant to hurt her, but it still hurts. The blonde knew their lives were hectic and unpredictable, which sometimes made things slip from your mind, but she at least thought that Tara's father knew about them. That the brunette had somewhere, in the past year, taken the opportunity to tell her family about them. Especially because Tara, herself, talked about her family quite often to her.

''Okay'' Penelope sighed, ''It's a start'' the blonde agreed, ''Just know that I'm hurt and that I'm mad at you'' she told her, letting the brunette know that she was definitely not off the hook yet.

''I understand'' Tara replied, feeling the worst she probably has felt in a long time, ''Why don't I start making it right by telling my Dad that he's welcome to come over for the holidays'' Tara told her.

''Yeah, that sounds good'' Penelope nodded.

''Great'' Tara's lips curled up into a small smile, glad that the blonde wasn't completely shutting her out, ''I'll call my Dad back than, and tell him that he can spend Christmas with us here''.

''Are you also going to tell him that your _fiance_ is going to be there?'' Penelope questioned with a raised eyebrow.

''No'' Tara shook her head, which instantly made Garcia's face fall.

''What?'' Penelope furrowed her brows, ''Why not?''.

''Because I want to surprise him, give him a special gift for Christmas'' the brunette explained to her.

''All right'' Penelope shrugged, ''If that's what you want'' she said, knowing she couldn't do much about what her fiance was or wasn't going to tell her family.

''Don't worry, Peaches'' Tara smiled, ''My Dad likes surprises'' she assured the blonde, as she stood up so she could call her father back again.

''Okay, but it's on you when your family flips out because you neglected to tell them that you're living together with someone _and_ are engaged to someone who isn't Douglas, or even a guy'' Penelope said nonchalantly.

''Fuck...'' Tara's eyes widened, her life having been so busy in the past two years, that she completely forgot about that.

''What? Did I say something wrong?'' Garcia looked up concerned, when she noticed the look on Tara's face.

''No, no'' Tara shook her head, ''It's just...I never even told him that Douglas and I are broken up. He doesn't even know about that'' she said.

''Well, my Mocha Princess'' Penelope chuckled, ''It's going to be a much bigger surprise for him than you thought''.

''Yeah, something like that'' Tara breathed out, as she tried to figure out in her head how she was going to tell her family that she forgot to tell them about the past two years of her life.

* * *

In the end Tara decided to listen to her fiance and tell her father that Douglas and her are broken up, and that she's seeing someone else. Because even though she knew her father liked surprises, she thought keeping this from him, any longer than she already had, wasn't the brightest idea.

And luckily that phone call went much easier than she thought it would go. He told her that he was a bit sad that Douglas and her are separated, because he was always fond of the guy, but that Tara's happiness was much more important. After all, all he wanted for his daughter was to be happy and loved. It only hurt him a bit that his daughter had taken so long to tell him, but he could get over that, he knew she was a busy woman, and didn't always have the time to tell everyone everything.

After telling her father about Douglas, Tara eventually spilled the beans about Penelope, and to her surprise her father took it quite well. He's still a bit old-fashioned, so he told her that he needed to get used to the fact that his daughter was with a woman, but he couldn't actually see a problem with it. For his daughter he could come around and accept it, because who was he to stand in the way of his own daughter's happiness.

Penelope, who had overheard the phone call, was really happy that her fiance decided to tell her family about them, instead of keeping it a secret for any longer. And even though Tara hadn't yet told them about their engagement, she figured the brunette would rather tell her father that in person, she felt a lot of the hurt and anger, she held inside, disappear. Because after that she couldn't stay mad at her fiance anymore, at least not for long. After all, it wasn't like Tara kept their relationship a secret from her family on purpose.

In the meantime there were only a couple of weeks before Christmas left, and the team was full-on busy with work. Unsubs didn't think about the holidays, so the job kept on going. But luckily the couple could get a couple of days off, so they could spend Christmas together, though there were no promises from the bureau that if they caught a bad case that they wouldn't be called back in, which the pair understood. They were already happy that they could get the days off they had asked for.

And now a day before Tara's father would arrive, and two days before Christmas, Penelope and Tara were on the hunt for a Christmas tree. Not really having had time for it sooner than now. Although Penelope, being the holiday spirited one, already decorated the whole house, inside and out, with Christmas decorations.

''What about this one?'' Tara pointed to a tree that looked kinda decent.

''It looks a bit dead, doesn't it?'' Penelope replied, as she brushed her glove covered hand across the tree, making a lot of pine needles fall to the ground. Most of them already having turned brownish. ''Maybe we should go to another lot, because this one definitely doesn't have anything worth buying'' the blonde said.

''Or we could get a fake one'' Tara suggested, as they walked further, all the while pushing her hands deeper into her coat pockets, as small snowflakes fell down around them, covering the ground with a small layer of snow.

''No, I want a real one'' Penelope shook her head, as she thread her arm through Tara's, trying to get as much warmth as she could get from the taller woman.

''Babe, this has been the third lot we've been to, and it's only 11 am'' Tara said, ''We're probably not going to find a real tree anymore''.

''But I want a real one'' Penelope pouted, ''I always have a real one''.

Tara chuckled at Penelope's adorable pout, and she couldn't help but lean down and steal a kiss from those pouty lips, which sparked a smile from the blonde.

''You know...'' Penelope said, a cheeky smile forming on her lips, ''If you keep that up, I might give in and let you buy us a fake tree''.

''Oh, really...'' Tara raised an eyebrow suggestively, as she stopped walking and faced the blonde, ''Well, than I should keep going, shouldn't I?'' her voice turning into a whisper as she closed the distance between them again, this time for more than just a peck.

Their surroundings faded away, as they got lost in each other, and it wasn't until they heard the sound of a loud car speeding past the lot that they broke apart, both slightly out of breath and having flushed cheeks.

''I'm never going to get enough of that, _never_ '' Penelope said lowly, as her eyes looked from Tara's mouth to her eyes and back.

''Neither am I'' Tara told the blonde, feeling the same way, as she leaned down again to lay one last peck on Penelope's kiss bruised lips.

Penelope followed the brunette with her lips when she wanted to pull away, and kissed her one more time before taking her hand, ''Come on'' Penelope said, as she pulled the brunette with her to the exit of the lot.

''Where are we going?'' Tara frowned, although following the curvy blonde anyways, ''I thought you wanted a tree?'' she said.

''Screw that'' Penelope said, ''Lets get a fake tree'' she told the brunette, as they came closer to their car.

''You're easy to persuade'' Tara laughed, as she got the car keys out of her pocket.

''I just want to get you home and naked as soon as possible, that's all'' Penelope threw the brunette a wink, as she teasingly bit her lip, a twinkle in her eyes that told Tara that Penelope was definitely ready to ravish her.

''That can definitely be arranged, Sweetheart'' Tara said, her pupils dilating, as desire filled her body and tightness settled in her underbelly. Oh, she was definitely ready.

* * *

Hours later, after having bought a fake tree, some groceries, and some last minute Christmas gifts, they finally returned home. And after having brought everything inside, Tara eventually found the blonde standing in the kitchen putting away groceries. In a couple of long strides Tara was behind the shorter woman, and trapped her between her and the counter. Finally being able, after many hours, to let her desire take over.

''Mmhmm...'' Penelope hummed appreciatively, as she felt Tara push her front against her back, while one arm circled around her waist and the other pushed her curls to one side, exposing the soft skin of her neck, ''I was already wondering where you were'' Penelope said, as she enjoyed every touch Tara left on her body.

Instead of saying anything back Tara laid gentle kisses on her neck, making the bag of apples, Penelope was busy putting away before Tara came up behind her, fall from her hands. Her hands instead taking a grip on the side of the counter, while Tara let her hands wander around on the blonde's body. The one circled around her waist dropping lower, while her other hand grazed the side of her breast.

''Turn around'' Tara said throatily, her voice filled with arousal, which made Penelope immediately oblige. And the second the blonde turned around, Tara's mouth was on hers, kissing the living daylights out of her.

In the mean time the brunette didn't waste any more time and pulled Penelope's dress up to around her waist, and pushed the blonde's panties down her legs. And before Penelope could even comprehend what was really going on, Tara was already softly stroking her throbbing clit.

''Oh, God...'' Penelope gasped as her head fell back, Tara taking that opportunity to trail kisses down the length of her throat.

''Baby, I need m-more'' Penelope moaned, the gentle touches making her body feel on fire, but it not being enough.

''Tell me what you want'' Tara huskily said into her ear, before sucking on the skin just behind the blonde's earlobe, which made a soft whimper escape Penelope's mouth.

''You'' Penelope said, her voice sounding strangled, as her head fell forward onto Tara's shoulder, her eyes closed, as the pleasure was taking over her body.

''Be more specific'' Tara said, knowing that this frustrated the blonde a lot, but she wasn't going to give in. Penelope, after all, had been teasing her ever since they left the lot this morning, so now she was going to take her time and make the blonde squirm.

''Goddamn'' Penelope grumbled, hating it when Tara was dragging it out, even though she knew her orgasm would hit her ten times harder whenever the brunette did that.

''Come on Babe, tell me what you need'' Tara said, as she slowed down her movements on the blonde's clit, not doing anything more until she told her what she wanted.

''Why?'' Penelope whined, as the now slow friction made her high disappear, ''You know what I need''.

''I know'' Tara smirked, ''But now I want to hear you say it'' she said, loving the way Penelope's expression was a mixture of pleasure, irritation, and pure hunger.

''Fucking hell, you _know_ what I need'' Penelope said harshly, not in the mood for this game Tara was playing anymore, she just wanted her release, ''I need your fingers, your mouth, your whatever'' she told the brunette, ''Just freaking make me co-'' but she cut off her own words when a long moan escaped her mouth, as Tara decided at that moment to plunge a finger deep inside of her.

''Fuck, you're so wet'' Tara cursed, feeling the ache and pool of wetness between her own thighs intensify, as she pushed another finger inside of the blonde beauty. The slickness making it easy to pump in and out of her.

''Y-yes...faster'' Penelope panted, the fire in her belly starting to build up again.

Tara finding it way too hot to only stare at her fiance coming undone, dropped to her knees infront of the blonde. He rhythm not faltering one bit, as she kept on pumping her fingers in and out of the blonde, as she came eye level with her fiance's wetness, which made her lick her lips and her eyes darken even more. Turning her head to the side, she dropped a couple of small kisses on the inside of Penelope's thigh, which made the blonde's leg shake a little, before turning her gaze onto her clit and leaning in to take it into her mouth, softly sucking on it.

Penelope's head fell back, curse words and loud moans leaving her mouth, as one of her hands took a hold on the back of Tara's head, pushing her further into her, which encouraged Tara to keep on going, as she flattened her tongue against Penelope's clit. After a couple of minutes Tara felt Penelope's walls tighten around her fingers, which she knew meant that the blonde was almost there.

Tara pulled her mouth away from Penelope and moved her fingers harder, faster and deeper inside the blonde, her thumb brushing against her bundle of nerves, ''Come for me, baby'' Tara said huskily, before diving back in and sucking hard on the blonde's clit, which she knew would do it.

''I- I...I'm coming'' Penelope's walls tightened even more around Tara's fingers, as she let the waves of pleasure wash over her.

After Penelope came down from her high, Tara pulled her fingers out of the blonde, making Penelope whimper from the loss and sensitivity, before happily drinking up all the juices seeping out of her. After licking up the last bit, Tara slowly stood back up, and kissed her fiance on the lips.

''I love the way I taste on your lips'' Penelope said licking her lips, a lustful look in her eyes, as she took a hold on Tara's wet fingers and put them slowly into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the digits, as she licked up every last bit of her own cum.

''Damn...that's hot'' Tara's pupils dilated even more at the erotic and sensual sight of her fingers disappearing inside Penelope's mouth.

''You know what's even hotter'' Penelope said, a smirk forming on her lips, as she let go of Tara's hand and pulled her dress down, while taking off her panties completely.

''What?'' Tara questioned, pure hunger dripping from the small word, as she watched every move the blonde made.

''My head between your legs'' Penelope replied with a seductive smile and a twinkle in her eyes, before taking a hold on the brunette's hand and pulling her with her to their bedroom. Their groceries and Christmas tree completely forgotten for now, as they made love well into the evening.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n: I figured out I'm actually quite decent at writing M-rated stuff, so I might dive more into that in future chapters and stories. With that said this chapter will kinda start where the last one left off, so a little bit more of M-rated stuff, but not much. Just a heads up that if you don't want to read any of that, you might wanna skip the first part.**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

The next morning Penelope woke up naked and pressed against her fiance's back. Her mind instantly filling with everything that happened last night, as images of their night of lovemaking flashed infront of her eyes, making lust settle in the pit of her stomach again.

''Good morning, sleeping beauty'' Penelope spoke softly, nuzzling her nose into Tara's neck, as she tightened her grip on the brunette's waist, pushing the other woman closer against her body, while their legs were tangled with each other.

''Mhmm'' Tara hummed, not wanting to wake up yet, but the small tingling touches from the blonde feeling too good to fall back asleep again.

Tara untangled their legs and turned around in Penelope's arms, coming face to face with the blonde, immediately leaning over to steal a kiss from her lips, as she's never able to resist her lover's pouty pink lips.

''This is a nice way of waking up'' Tara's lips turned up into a smile, as she scooted closer to Penelope, their fronts flush against each other, as she buried her face in the blonde's neck, a faint scent of vanilla filling her nostrils, ''You always smell so nice in the morning'' Tara breathed out, her warm breath tickling Penelope's neck, making goosebumps rise on her skin.

''Really?'' Penelope laughed, her fingers gently stroking circles on Tara's back.

''Yes, really'' Tara nodded her head against the blonde's neck.

''Even after last night?'' the blonde said amused.

''Especially after last night'' Tara replied, her lips brushing against Penelope's skin with every word, which made the curvy blonde's body slightly tremble.

''You know...'' Penelope's lips curled up into a sexy smile, as she pushed the brunette onto her back and straddled her, ''We could always pick up where we left off last night'' she said, biting her lip, as she hovered over the beautiful brunette.

''You know...'' Tara replied in the same manner as her fiance, as she hooked a leg around Penelope's thigh, ''That sounds like a wonderful idea'' the brunette's eyes darkened, as her eyes drifted down to the blonde's lips.

''I thought so, too'' Penelope's voice faded into a whisper as she leaned down and pulled Tara into a kiss, which made their eyes flutter shut, as their lips moved slowly in sync against each other.

After a while of soft and sweet slow kisses, Penelope brushed her tongue against the seam of Tara's lips seeking entrance, which the brunette granted, their tongue's sensually gliding against each other. Tara let her hands wander up and cupped Penelope's face, her fingers disappearing into the blonde's soft and silky tresses. While at the same time Penelope let her hands glide down and over Tara's body, her smooth skin making her fingertips tingle.

Eventually Penelope broke the kiss and let her lips wander down, leaving a trail of kisses behind. From Tara's lips, to her chin, to her throat and stopping just above the brunette's chest. Penelope's arousal intensifying as she came eye to eye with Tara's perfect breasts. But before she went further she let her cherry brown eyes travel the length of her trail of kisses, a smug smile forming on her lips when she noticed the deep rise and fall of her lover's chest, and the panting sounds leaving the brunette's lips.

Finally her eyes connected with Tara's and the look reflected in them turned her on even more, and not being able to hold herself back any longer, she cupped one of the brunette's breasts and massaged it, her thumb brushing over the dark colored nipple, it instantly hardening under her touch, which made a sexy moan leave Tara's parted lips. A sound Penelope could gladly listen to for the rest of her life.

But just before Penelope could lean down and feast on Tara's body, the sound of the doorbell downstairs could be heard going off. The sound interrupting their intimate moment.

''No!'' Tara moaned annoyed, too riled up to stop now.

''I didn't know we were expecting anyone'' Penelope frowned, as she let go of her fiance and rolled off of the brunette.

''No, stay'' Tara stopped the blonde from completely rolling off of her by holding her around her waist, ''Maybe it's just a salesman, or something'' the brunette said, 'Those go away when they figure out no one is coming to the door''.

''Yeah, but what if it's not'' Penelope said, ''It could be one of the team''.

''I don't think so'' Tara shook her head, ''They would've called first''.

''Not if it's urgent'' Penelope told her.

''No, but it's a day before Christmas'' Tara said, ''Everyone is with their families, so I don't think they'll be at our frontdoor this early in the morning'' she told the blonde.

''Yeah, okay'' Penelope agreed, ''You're probably right'' she said.

''Of course I am'' Tara said with a cocky smile, as she rolled them over so now she was hovering over Penelope, which made the blonde squeal, ''So where were we'' the brunette licked her lips, before closing the distance between them. But before their lips could completely touch the doorbell went off again, and this time the person wasn't letting up and kept on ringing it.

''Fuck'' Tara cursed, letting her head fall face first on the pillow next to Penelope's head.

''I'll go look who it is, okay'' Penelope chuckled softly, knowing how frustrated the brunette must be right now.

Tara rolled off of Penelope and let her leave their bed. She watched as the blonde took her glasses from the bedside table and put them on, before picking up some clothes she could quickly throw on from the ground, before walking out of the bedroom. When the blonde was gone, Tara closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, cursing the person at their frontdoor who interrupted them.

* * *

Penelope walked quickly down the stairs, cursing under her breath, as she started to get really annoyed by the sound of the doorbell.

''Whoever this is, its better be good, otherwise I'm going to kill them'' Penelope muttered, as she unlocked the door.

''Good morning, Babygirl'' was the first thing she heard when she opened the door, coming face to face with the one and only Derek Morgan.

''Not such a _good_ morning'' the blonde grumbled, as she opened the door further, letting the guy in.

''What's wrong?'' Derek frowned.

''You, that's what's wrong'' Penelope told him, as she closed the door.

''What have I done?'' Derek raised his eyebrows, not understanding Penelope's grumpiness towards him.

''That doorbell'' she replied, ''Did you have to keep pushing it like that, and for that long?'' she said, as she walked towards the kitchen, Morgan following her. The blonde knew she wasn't going to get back to sexy time with her fiance, so instead she thought it would be for the best to start on breakfast. After all they only had about seven or eight hours until they needed to pick up Tara's father from the airport, and they were nowhere near done for Christmas.

''You didn't respond the first time'' Derek shrugged, now dawning on him why his best friend looked annoyed by his presence.

''Ever thought of going away than'' Penelope told him, as she gathered all the stuff she needed for breakfast, starting with coffee.

''Yeah...but then I decided against that'' he teased.

''I hate you'' Penelope narrowed her eyes at him, which only made Morgan grin, but his grin quickly turned into a smirk when he caught something on the floor next to Penelope in his peripheral vision.

'' _Ohh_...I get it now'' Derek smirked, as he picked up the item, that had caught his eye, from the kitchen floor, ''I interrupted sexy time'' he wiggled his eyebrows, as he held up a pair of bright pink panties in the air.

''Shut up!'' Penelope rolled her eyes, a blush creeping into her cheeks and covering her whole face, as she quickly snatched the panties from Morgan's hand, stuffing them into the pocket of her bathrobe, ''Those weren't from now'' she muttered, as she went back to making breakfast. Silently hoping Morgan was going to leave it at that, but not having realized that the guy had heard her mumbling and wasn't going to leave it alone.

''Damn...it's like that. A sex marathon'' Derek said, the same smirk still in place on his face, ''Nice'' he added with a wink.

''O holy mother of God'' the blonde grumbled, as she took a deep breath.

''Hey, big guy, leave my fiance alone'' Tara said, as she walked into the kitchen.

''But it's so much fun teasing her'' Derek said innocently.

''If you want to leave this house alive, I swear...'' Penelope threatened.

''Calm down Sweetheart, he's only teasing you'' Tara said, as she put a hand on the blonde's waist and left a kiss on her cheek, before taking the cup of coffee, Penelope offered to her, from the blonde's hands, before sitting down at the kitchen island.

''Yeah, come on Babygirl, it's all good natured teasing'' Morgan said, ''You know me''.

''Yeah, yeah, I know you'' Penelope rolled her eyes, though a small smile was on her lips because she knew it was true, Morgan was only just joking with her.

''By the way, what are you actually doing here?'' the blonde questioned, ''Aren't you supposed to be home with your wife and Hank'' she asked, as she handed over a cup of coffee to the guy, before making one for herself.

''I know, and I'm going back home soon'' Derek told her, as he sat down next to Tara at the kitchen island, ''But Savannah needed some last minute groceries, and we still had some gifts to deliver, so she kicked me out of the house to fulfill my duties as a husband'' Derek said, ''Which, by the way, were her words'' he added, as he picked up a bag, both Tara and Penelope hadn't even noticed yet, from beside his chair. The bag being filled with paper wrapped packages.

''Well...that'll compensate for you bullying me'' Penelope joked, perking up at the sight of gifts, getting an 'are you serious?' look from her fiance, to which the blonde only nonchalantly shrugged, before taking a sip from her coffee.

''Come on, I was just teasing you'' Derek said.

''Yeah, and I'm only teasing you too, Handsome'' Penelope stated, raising a challenging eyebrow at him, daring him to come back with a come back.

''Wow, it's like watching two four year olds'' Tara chuckled, as she was once again reminded by what could ensue when the two best friends were together.

''You're the one marrying one of them'' Derek said, ''So I hope you know what you're getting yourself into'' he told her teasingly.

''Hey!'' Penelope called out, which made Derek smirk as he knew exactly how to push the blonde's buttons, ''Tara knows _exactly_ what she's getting herself into''.

''Do I?'' Tara said obliviously, acting innocent.

''Seriously'' Penelope huffed, ''You two are going to gang up on me now, _together_ ''.

''You do the exact same thing with Savannah against me'' Derek said with a shrug, ''So we're even now'' he told her.

''I hate you'' Penelope glared towards the guy.

''No, you don't'' Derek looked smug, ''You love me''.

''Whatever'' the blonde huffed, ''And to be clear, I'm a great person and I will be an amazing wife'' she told them.

''Of course you will be, Honey'' Tara said, biting her lip to keep from laughing, as she looked at the blonde with amusement in her eyes.

''Well, that didn't sound sarcastic _at all_ '' Penelope scoffed.

''You know I love you'' Tara's lips melted into a gentle and loving smile, ''I wouldn't have said yes to marrying you if I didn't'' she told the blonde.

Penelope let a soft smile now appear on her lips, ''I know'' she said, sharing a tender look with her fiance, ''I love you, too'' she added.

''I know'' Tara's smile turned into a grin, still feeling her heart beat faster whenever she heard those three little words from the blonde.

Derek looked on at the pair and couldn't help but let a soft smile grace his lips at the way the couple was looking at each other. It really was a sweet sight to see.

''Not wanting to interrupt, but I'll be going again'' Derek said, shaking the two women out of their moment, ''I still have to go around JJ's, before actually going home'' he told them, before he threw back the last bit of coffee left in his cup.

''Yes, of course'' Tara said.

''Yeah, we wouldn't want to keep you away from home for too long'' Penelope smiled, ''And _thank you_ for the gifts'' the blonde said, never being able to stay mad at Derek for too long, ''Oh, which reminds me, we've got a couple of gifts for you, too''.

''You already gave us our gifts like a week ago'' Derek frowned.

''You can never give too much, Sweet Cheeks'' Penelope chirped, as she put her empty cup down in the sink, ''I'll go and get them'' she said, before walking out of the kitchen and into the livingroom to pick up the couple of paper wrapped packages.

''Don't act so surprised'' Tara bumped her shoulder with the man sitting next to her, ''You should know that she doesn't stop at just one gift''.

''I know that'' Derek said, ''But you guys have given us about a dozen of presents already'' he told her.

''She likes to spoil her Godson, there's nothing wrong with that'' Tara told him with a smile, not minding it one bit that her fiance was really generous. For her it actually added to the charm of the woman, making her love the blonde even more. She loves that Penelope cares and loves their friends, their family, so much.

''Here you go'' Penelope said, as she came back through the kitchen door with four gifts stacked upon each other, ''Just a couple of things I thought you'd guys like'' she smiled, as she handed them over to her friend.

''Thank you, Babygirl'' Derek smiled softly, as he stood up and gave the blonde a kiss on her cheek, before taking the presents from her, ''And you too, Tara'' he added, as he turned to the brunette and gave her a kiss on her cheek too.

''No problem'' Tara smiled.

''I'm really going now, though'' Derek told them, ''I wish you two a very Merry Christmas'' he said, ''And we'll have to call each other about what were going to do with New Year's Eve''.

''I thought that was already settled'' Tara said with a frown, ''Last week Rossi told us that he was going to host a New Year's Eve party, and that we're all invited''.

''Really?'' Derek said, as he thought back to when that could've been planned, but coming up empty, as he could not remember Rossi, or anyone else, telling him that.

''Maybe Savannah knows'' Penelope told him.

''Yeah, probably'' Derek nodded, ''I'll ask her about it when I'm home'' he said, ''Well, with that I'm really going now''.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope said, ''I'll walk you out'' she told him with a smile.

''Great'' Derek smiled back, ''Bye Tara'' he bid the brunette farewell with a nod of his head.

''Bye, and Merry Christmas to you guys, too'' Tara replied with a smile, before watching the pair disappear through the kitchen door.

* * *

Later that day, after the couple was done with getting dressed, decorating the tree, and preparing some food for tonight's dinner, they were at the airport waiting for Tara's father to arrive. The man had called them about twenty minutes ago, telling them that he was waiting by baggage claim, and it seemed like since then Tara's nerves were getting the best of her, which was something that confused Penelope.

''Why are you acting so nervous?'' Penelope asked her fiance, as she caught a glance of the brunette's slightly shaking hands. The blonde not having seen Tara act quite like this before, although it wasn't like she wasn't a ball of nerves right now herself. After all she was going to meet her future father in law in just a couple of short minutes.

''I- I...'' Tara trailed off, as she took a deep breath, ''I'm sorry, I just really want my father to like you'' she said, looking down at the blonde.

''Awh...Lovebug'' Penelope's lips melted into a soft smile, ''Under all the toughness you're actually a real softy'' she teased.

''Shut up'' Tara rolled her eyes, though a small smile was pulling at the corners of her lips, ''It's just...I'm going to marry you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want my Dad to be a part of that too'' she told the blonde.

''I understand'' Penelope said softly, ''But just let it come naturally, okay'' she told her fiance, ''Just let him get to know me, let him see us together, and I promise everything will fall into place'' she assured the brunette, and with that herself.

''Yeah, okay'' Tara smiled, as she leaned down to give the blonde a quick kiss on her lips, knowing she was right.

''Good'' Penelope smiled back, glad she could reassure her lover.

''Tara!'' a voice called out, interrupting them.

''Dad'' Tara's lips turned up into a smile upon seeing her father walking up to them.

''It's so good to see you in the flesh again, Sweetheart'' Albert smiled, as he put his bag and suitcase down on the ground and immediately went in for a hug, having missed his daughter a lot since the last time he saw her.

''You too, Dad'' Tara told him, hugging him just as tight back.

Albert pulled slightly out of the hug and held his daughter at arms length, looking her over for a moment, ''You're looking great'' he said softly, ''You seem to glow happiness'' he told her.

''That's because I am happy'' Tara replied, a loving smile forming on her lips as she looked over to her fiance, who was waiting nervously to get introduced, something that didn't go unnoticed by Tara.

''That's right'' Albert let go of his daughter, and let his gaze wander to the blonde standing beside her, ''The girlfriend'' he said, as he eyed the blonde up and down, which made Penelope feel a bit insecure, as she hadn't had met the man before, and what if he thought she wasn't good enough for his daughter.

''Yes'' Tara nodded, ''Dad, I want you to meet Penelope, my _fiance_ , not girlfriend'' she said, putting an arm around Penelope's waist, and pulling her closer beside her.

''Fiance?'' Albert looked surprised up to his daughter, not having heard that bit of information before.

''Yes, Sir'' Penelope nodded, ''We're engaged'' she told him, nervously biting her lip, as she waited on what Albert was going to say about that, and what he was going to think of her.

''It's nice meeting you, Penelope'' Albert extended out his hand to the blonde, a stern, and what's supposed to be an intimidating, look on his face.

''It's nice meeting you too, Sir'' Penelope replied with the best smile she could muster on her lips, as she shook his hand. She wanted to leave the best first impression she could on the man.

''I hope you know, and understand, that I make no difference between men or women'' Albert told her, ''So if you hurt my little girl...'' he let his words trail off, the look on his face, and in his eyes, saying enough.

''Dad!'' Tara called out, ''Seriously?!'' she looked incredulously over at him.

''What?'' Albert looked innocently up to his daughter, ''I have to insert _some_ fear into the person my daughter is dating'' he told her with a shrug.

''Really?'' Tara raised an eyebrow, ''That wasn't _some_ fear, Penelope looks scared as hell'' she said, as she gestured to her fiance, who's face showed that she was actually a bit scared, ''Penelope, my Dad is just messing with you'' she told the blonde, ''He's mean like that'' the brunette glared at the older man.

''Just doing my fatherly duties'' Albert said, holding his hands up in defense.

''Yeah, and more than that'' Tara stated.

''It's okay'' Penelope said, ''I understand, you're his daughter, and he only wants to look out for you'' she told her fiance softly, assuring her that it's no big deal.

''See, she gets it'' Albert said, already starting to like the blonde.

''Though I was scared there for a bit'' Penelope said honestly.

''Good'' Albert smiled, ''That means my intimidating look hasn't worn of yet''.

''Yeah, and neither will that _ever_ happen'' Tara said, her childhood, her teenage years, and even some of her adult life, being proof enough that her father will always have some intimidating affect on people. ''All right, now that you've had your minute of scaring my fiance, lets go'' Tara said, ''We've got a really nice dinner, Penelope made us, waiting to be eaten at home''.

''That sounds great'' Albert said, as he bend down to pick up his bag and suitcase again, but he was stopped halfway by Penelope.

''Let me'' the blonde offered, wanting to be polite.

''Thank you'' Albert smiled appreciatively up at the woman.

''No problem'' Penelope smiled back, before picking up the bag.

''I'll take the other one'' Tara said, as she bend down to pick up the suitcase.

''Now lead the way'' Albert gestured to the exit of the airport, ''I can't wait to see your home''.

''Follow us'' Tara smiled, as the couple led Albert to their car.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/n: So I'm back to my usual friday's, and it will stay like that. Although I don't know if I'm able to update** _ **every**_ **friday, but I'm going to try! With that said, this chapter isn't really anything big, just a filler containing some Christmas stuff and some bonding between family. So I hope you enjoy it, and leave a review, follow or favorite if you want!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

Arriving home a little while later, Tara first showed her father the guestroom, while Penelope warmed up dinner and set the table. After she was sure her father knew where everything was, and had everything he needed, she left him alone and went downstairs again.

Walking down the stairs the first thing that hit her were the smells coming from the kitchen, and she instantly felt her stomach grumble, which is something Penelope's cooking could always accomplish.

With a smile on her face Tara walked into the kitchen, and saw that the table was already set for three, and it were only a few finishing touches before dinner was ready to be served.

''Can I do anything, Love?'' Tara asked, as she came up beside Penelope, who was at the stove.

''Yes, can you reheat the garlic bread'' Penelope said, as she was busy stirring the sauce for the pasta.

''Of course, I can'' Tara smiled, as she walked over to the oven. ''Anything more?'' she asked, after she was done with that one simple task.

''You can come and taste the sauce'' Penelope said, holding up a spoon filled with spicy hot tomato sauce.

''Knowing you, it'll be amazing'' Tara told her, as she walked over to her fiance again, ''Although, maybe not David Rossi amazing'' the brunette teased.

''Hey!'' Penelope called out, her lips turning into a pout, ''I can cook just as good as him'' she said, ''Besides, I've learned many of my cooking skills from that man, so it should be good'' she told the brunette.

''I know'' Tara smiled softly, ''And that's why this sauce will be amazing'' she said, before she let Penelope spoon feed her the sauce.

''And?'' Penelope questioned with a raised eyebrow, waiting for the verdict.

''Uhmm...'' Tara said, acting like she had to think really hard about it, as she let her taste buds do their job, while making the blonde wait for an answer.

''Well...?'' the blonde asked again, getting a little bit impatient now.

''Like I said, Rossi's still better'' Tara replied, ''Good try though'' she told her, a sympathetic look on her face, as she put a hand on Penelope's shoulder, ''But...better luck next time'' she said, biting the inside of her cheek to keep the amused look and smile from her face.

''You're not serious now, are you?!'' Penelope scoffed at her.

''I'm dead serious'' Tara said, though her dark brown eyes shined with teasing.

''God, I hate you'' Penelope rolled her eyes, as she shook off the brunette's hand from her shoulder.

''I'm sorry, Honey'' Tara bursted out in laughter, ''But that was hilarious'' she said between laughs.

''You really have it out for me today, haven't you'' Penelope grumbled, as she went back to stirring the sauce, adding a pinch of salt and pepper to it, before turning off the stove.

''You know it's all out of love, Babe'' Tara said, a pleased grin, she couldn't contain, on her lips.

''Yeah, yeah'' Penelope rolled her eyes, '' _Love_ '' she huffed.

''It's true'' Tara shrugged, ''Besides, your sauce is just as good, no wait...your sauce is even better than Rossi's'' she told the blonde.

''Suck up'' Penelope glared at her fiance, though a smile was on her lips, ''By the way, you spilled some sauce on your chin'' she said, brushing away the little bit of sauce from Tara's chin with her thumb.

''I wanted to save something for later'' the brunette joked.

''You really are a weirdo sometimes, you know that'' Penelope shook her head, a grin on her lips, as she wiped her thumb clean with a towel.

''Maybe'' Tara shrugged, ''But I'm your weirdo'' she beamed, making the blonde chuckle.

In the meantime the couple hadn't noticed that Albert had come down the stairs, and was watching the pair interact with each other from afar, for the past couple of minutes. Albert couldn't help but let a small smile grace his lips as he witnessed first hand the sweet and adoring looks, the teasing, and the soft touches between the couple.

When Tara called him a couple of weeks ago and told him that she broke off her engagement with Douglas, and was now dating a woman, he didn't know what to really think. He was, of course, happy for her, but he can't hide that it felt weird for him. That he couldn't quite accept it at that moment. And it's not because he's homophobic or something, because he's never had an issue with same-sex relationships. Love is love in his eyes. He just never expected his daughter to eventually fall in love with, and come home with, a woman. He just never thought his daughter felt that way.

But although he never thought about his daughter ending up with a woman, he couldn't deny that what he saw between the two women looked like real love. Which was something that made his heart fill with warmth, and made him realize that he would be a complete moron if he didn't accept them. After all, the most important thing in the world for him is that Tara finally found the happiness and love she deserves.

''That smells delicious, ladies'' Albert said, announcing himself.

''O-oh...hello Sir'' Penelope said a little startled, not having noticed the man, ''I hope it tastes as good, too'' she told him with a smile.

''I hope so, too'' Albert smiled back, ''And Penelope...'' he added.

''Yes, Sir?'' the blonde replied.

''You don't have to keep calling me Sir'' the man told her.

''Oh...yes, of course, Si-'' Penelope said, before cutting herself off, ''Mr. Lewis'' she added instead.

''Actually...'' Albert said, an amused look on his face at the fact that the blonde couldn't help herself, ''Albert is just fine'' he told her, a reassuring smile on his lips telling her that all the formal names weren't necessary.

''O-okay'' Penelope nodded, ''Albert it is, than'' the blonde smiled again, glad that Tara's father seemed to genuinely like her.

''Great'' Albert said, ''Now, is there still anything left I could do?''.

''No'' Tara shook her head, ''Just go ahead and sit down, we'll bring the food to the table in a minute'' she told her father.

''Okay'' the older man nodded, before doing what his daughter said.

''It looks like you were worried about nothing, Love'' Tara said, when her father was out of earshot.

''It does, doesn't it?'' Penelope smiled, feeling glad.

''Yes, it really does'' Tara smiled softly, before leaning in to give the woman a quick kiss on the lips, before taking the pan with pasta from the stove and carrying it to the table. All the while feeling really happy that her father wasn't making a big scene out of it, and that he could see that she was genuinely happy.

Penelope's mouth turned up into a smile, as she felt her lips tingle from the kiss, before she happily followed her fiance to the table.

* * *

Later that evening the three of them were sitting in the livingroom drinking coffee and catching Albert up on life, something Tara had neglected to do for the past couple of years, when the topic of the wedding came up.

''So when are you two actually tying the knot?'' Albert asked, wanting to know when he could finally walk his daughter down the aisle. A moment he has been looking forward to ever since Tara was a little girl.

''We actually haven't really set a date, or even planned, anything yet, but we're definitely talking about it'' Tara told her father, ''And we did agree on wanting it to be a spring or summer wedding'' she said.

''We're thinking about doing it around May'' Penelope told the man, ''But only if we can plan, and get everything done, before that'' the blonde said, ''Because it's only five months away, so it's a short period of time''.

''That's nice'' Albert smiled, before taking a sip from his coffee, ''Good weather and a special day, what more do you want''.

''Exactly'' Penelope grinned.

''So is it going to be outdoors?'' Albert asked, ''With it being a spring wedding''.

''Yes, that's definitely something we really want'' Tara told him with a nod, ''Especially with the beautiful area's around here'' she said.

''You know...'' Albert said, looking pointedly at his daughter, ''Your aunt Thelma's got this beautiful area too, called her garden'' he suggested, ''With the rosebeds and the gazebo''.

''I know'' Tara nodded, ''And it _is_ gorgeous there'' the brunette agreed, ''But I don't think we can fly everyone out to San Francisco for our wedding, Dad'' she chuckled, although agreeing that, that location would've been perfect for their wedding, if it wasn't that far away.

''Oh, yes. Of course, of course'' Albert nodded, understanding the circumstances, ''It was only an idea'' he told them with a smile.

''Idea's are always welcome'' Penelope smiled back, ''But we actually, kinda, agreed on a location already'' she told him, ''At least, if we can get it, of course''.

''Really? That's great'' Albert said, ''Where?''.

''At the local park, ten minutes from here'' Tara replied, ''It's this beautiful place, that looks out over a lake, where in the spring all these kinds of gorgeous flowers grow around the field and the gazebo'' she told him, a grin slowly forming on her lips, as she thought about the things they've already discussed and started to arrange for the wedding.

''That sounds amazing'' Albert told her, a soft and amused look taking over his face, as he pictured the setting in his head.

''What's that look for?'' Tara raised an eyebrow.

''I just...I've never seen you like this'' Albert said, putting his empty coffee cup down on the coffeetable.

''Like what?'' Tara furrowed her brows, not understanding.

''You were always a tomboy, Tara. You were never a girly girl'' Albert explained, ''And looking at you now, talking about flowers and wedding venues, I just never imagined that happening'' he told her, happily surprised by the affect the blonde seemed to have on his daughter.

''Dad...'' Tara said, as she felt a blush heat up her cheeks, which made Penelope giggle at how cute Tara looked while being embarrassed, ''Stop it'' the brunette playfully slapped her fiance's knee.

''H-hey'' Penelope called out between giggles, ''Nothing to be ashamed about, I've just never really seen you being embarrassed about anything before'' she told the woman.

''Oh...let me tell you some things than'' Albert chuckled, ready to reveal a lot of embarrassing childhood stories about his daughter.

''Dad!'' Tara called out, horrified at what could be revealed once he started talking about her childhood years.

But Albert ignored his daughter and started telling the funny story, from years ago, that came to the front of his mind, ''Once, when Tara was about five years old, she knew exactly how to embarrass me and her mother'' he said.

''Don't you dare'' Tara narrowed her eyes at her father, as she knew exactly what story the man was talking about.

''What happened?'' Penelope asked, intrigued, as she had heard a lot of stories about Tara's youth from the brunette herself, but not ones only parents could tell.

''Seriously...?'' Tara looked at the blonde incredulously.

''What?'' Penelope shrugged, ''I want to know more about you'' she said.

''God, help me'' Tara breathed out, as she slumped back against the couch, the blonde putting a sympathetic hand on her knee and squeezing it, before turning her gaze to Albert, ''So, what happened?'' Penelope asked again, still wanting to know, all the while she heard the brunette beside her grumble under her breath, which made her softly chuckle.

''So what happened was...'' Albert started, as he looked at Penelope, ''We were out buying a new car, and while we were walking around the shop we left Gabriel and Tara to play at the kid's section of the shop, so we could quietly look around. So while they were there, her mother and I looked around the shop with a salesman, trying to find the right car'' he said, ''But halfway through making a deal, Tara came wandering over to us, bored, and we told her she could stay with us than. We were almost done anyway'' he told the blonde, and he could see in his peripheral vision that his daughter knew that the embarrassing part was coming now, so he quickly spoke further, ''So, we went on discussing the details, settling the deal, when suddenly Tara spoke up and said, 'do you know that my Mommy's got a big butt?'''.

''No you didn't'' Penelope's eyes widened, as she looked beside her to her fiance, who only embarrassingly nodded in return, ''Oh my God'' the blonde said, before bursting out in laughter.

''I was five'' Tara rolled her eyes, ''And that's not even _that_ embarrassing'' she told the blonde, as she crossed her arms, looking like a pouty child now, which only made Penelope laugh harder.

''No, it wasn't'' Albert agreed, shaking his head, ''What you said after that was''.

''What did she say after?'' Penelope asked.

''Well, if that wasn't embarrassing enough for a parent, she went on and said, 'do you wanna touch it? 'Cause it's true''' Albert told her, ''To which the salesman couldn't do anything but look embarrassed, and look everywhere but Tara and my wife''.

''Damn...'' Penelope shook her head, still laughing, ''Children'' she joked.

''Like you've never done anything like that when you were a child'' Tara said, ''I bet your parents had some funny stories about you, too'' she told the blonde without thinking.

''They probably had'' Penelope said, her laughter quickly dying down, ''But I don't remember much from it'' she sighed, her lips turning into a sad smile, ''And I probably will never remember, because they're not here to remind me''.

''Oh...Penelope'' Tara's mood instantly turned around, as she realized what her words occurred for her fiance, ''I'm so sorry'' she sat up again, putting a comforting arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling her into her side.

''It's okay'' Penelope said softly, ''It's been a long time''.

''I know'' Tara replied, ''But still...'' she said emphatically, as she knew exactly how it felt to lose a parent.

''Is something wrong?'' Albert asked concerned, not knowing about Penelope's family, or past.

''No, nothings wrong'' Penelope shook her head, ''Just...my parents were killed by a drunk driver when I was eighteen, and comments like that remind me that they won't ever be here for moments like these, and that they will never be here to share stories like that'' she said, ''Which makes me miss them a bit more than usual. That's all'' she told the older man.

''I'm so sorry, Penelope'' Albert said, sympathetically.

''It's okay'' the blonde said again, a gentle smile on her lips, ''I'll be fine'' she assured him.

''All right'' Albert replied with a nod, though not worrying any less just because the blonde told him that she was fine.

''Okay'' Penelope breathed out, replacing the sad look on her face with a more cheerful one, ''Why don't we watch a Christmas movie'' she suggested, trying to make the sad atmosphere in the room turn into a happier and joyfuller one again.

''Sounds good to me'' Albert said.

''I'll get us some snacks and drinks than, okay'' Tara said softly, as she intently searched Penelope's face to see if she really was okay again.

''Okay'' the blonde nodded, although her eyes still showed some kind of sadness, but Tara knew Penelope didn't want to talk about it now, so she let it go. She'll just make a mental note to talk to her fiance when they were alone again.

''Okay'' Tara said with a nod, as she gave Penelope one last comforting squeeze before letting her go, standing up, and leaving the livingroom - taking their empty cups of coffee with her on her way.

Albert watched his daughter walk out of the room, before he turned his gaze on his future daughter in law. Watching her for a moment as she turned on the tv, took the remote, and started going through the Christmas movie section on Netflix. The sad glint in her eyes not having seemed to have disappeared, although she told them that she was fine.

''Are you really okay, Dear?'' Albert asked gently.

''Uhh...what?'' Penelope said, as she turned her gaze to the man, not having heard his question. Having been too focused on searching for a movie.

''Are you really all right?'' Albert repeated his question.

''Yes, Si-...I mean Albert, I'm fine. I'll be okay'' Penelope replied softly, reassuring the man that there was no need for fussing over it, ''Besides, this isn't my first Christmas, or holiday, or anything, without them, and it won't be the last'' she said.

''I understand that'' Albert said with a nod, ''But it's still okay to be sad about it'' he told her, ''It's okay to miss them, and not be strong for once. Especially around these times of the year''.

''I know'' Penelope said, not having to be told that, ''But I've been sad about it for so long, that I know I'll get over it again''.

''Which is good'' Albert said, ''Just don't let it take away your emotions, okay'' he told her softly, as he knew exactly what could happen when you numb your emotions.

''I won't. I promise'' the blonde replied, a small but genuine smile now on her lips, ''Besides, I've tried that, and it's definitely not a place I want to get back to'' she told him honestly, as she thought about her past and present, and thinking that her life right now was too good to let anything, or anyone, screw that up.

''I understand'' Albert said, because he genuinely did understand that, he's been there too.

''I know'' Penelope connected her eyes with the man, a look of mutual understanding between them, as she let him know that Tara had told her all about it after the whole Scratch fiasco, ''So...which movie?'' Penelope asked, changing the subject, not wanting to talk any more about it. And she got a feeling that Albert wouldn't mind the change of topic either.

''I don't really care'' Albert shrugged, ''I've probably seen every Christmas movie there is, so put something on that you two like'' he said with a smile.

''Okay'' Penelope smiled back, as she choose for them, before scooting back on the couch again, as they patiently waited for Tara to come back again.

* * *

 **A/n: I know the whole Scratch episode with Tara happened after the Morgan and Montolo one, so in our timeline it happened somewhere halfway through this story, when they were already in a relationship, I just never wrote about it (because I never thought about writing about it). So to make sense of the timeline, lets make it that it happened in the couple of months I skipped in the beginning of the story.**

 **Also the childhood story about Tara is a twist on something that my younger sister did when we were kids, though instead of butt my sister said boobs. Just a little info on how I came up with that part/story.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/n: This is just a filler chapter, so it's nothing really special, but don't worry there is still much more content to come. Also this chapter's got an emotional vibe, but that's because I want to show a bit more emotional bonding between the pair and Albert. Besides that, this chapter is still set around Christmas time, so a small bit of that, before we're moving on to new year's eve. And then after that we'll start the new year, and a lot of happy times! So I hope you like it, and as always I appreciate all the reads, reviews, faves and likes. So leave some behind if you want to!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

''Mhmm...I smell breakfast'' Penelope said drowsily, as she she was roused from her sleep by the smells wafting through the bedroom.

''Huh?'' Tara blinked, Penelope's voice having woken her up.

''I smell breakfast'' Penelope repeated, now much more awake than seconds ago, as she turned around in her fiance's arms, a soft smile forming on her lips as she saw the adorable way Tara was trying to wake herself up. The brunette was blinking heavily, trying to keep her eyes to stay open, but they kept on falling shut after a few seconds. And she couldn't blame Tara for wanting to sleep some more, either. After all, last night got pretty late and guessing by the darkness still in their bedroom, it probably was still early in the morning. Probably not even later than 7.30 am.

''Honey, if you want to sleep some more, go ahead'' Penelope told the brunette gently, as she wrapped her arms around her body, letting Tara rest her head on her chest.

''No, it's okay'' Tara replied, wrapping an arm around the blonde's waist, ''And you're right, it does smell like breakfast in here'' she said, as she now smelled the scents too.

''It's probably your Dad'' Penelope said, as she remembered that the older man was staying with them.

''Yeah, probably'' Tara sleepily nodded, her voice slowly fading away, as she seemed to have slipped back to sleep again.

Penelope chuckled softly as she wrapped her arms a bit tighter around the brunette, and let the woman get some more sleep. She'll just wait until Albert called for them, or until Tara woke up again, before making a move. Which she was actually perfectly fine with. She liked relishing in these kind of moments, just the two of them, in each other's arms.

About an hour had past and Tara still hadn't woken up again, and Penelope could hear the steps of the stairs creaking, indicating that someone, most likely Albert, was coming up the stairs.

''Hey, sleepyhead'' Penelope gently said, shaking her fiance a bit, hoping it'll wake her up, but all she got was some incoherent mumbling back, before a snore left the brunette's mouth again - which amused the blonde.

''Tara...'' Penelope shook the woman again, a little harder this time, which made Tara slightly open her eyes.

''What time is it?'' Tara murmured, as she nuzzled her face into the blonde's neck.

''It's around 8.30'' Penelope replied with a soft smile, completely loving this cuddly side of the brunette, ''And I think your Dad's coming to get us for breakfast, because I heard the stairs'' she said, before a knock on their closed bedroom door confirmed Penelope's words.

''Tara? Penelope?'' Albert's voice came through the door, ''Are you awake?'' he asked.

''We're awake'' Penelope called back.

''Okay, good, because breakfast is ready'' Albert said, ''So, if you're hungry, there is food downstairs'' he told them.

''Give us a minute and we'll come downstairs, okay?'' the blonde replied.

''Okay, I'll be waiting in the kitchen for you two'' Albert told them, before the pair heard him walk away.

''Come on, Chocolate Angel'' Penelope said, throwing the covers off of them, ''Lets get downstairs''.

''Just a minute and then we'll get up, okay'' Tara said, before a yawn escaped her mouth and she closed her eyes again.

''Nope, not gonna happen'' Penelope shook her head, ''Because I know your minute, they usually turn into ten'' the blonde said, as she pinched her fiance's side to keep her awake.

''All right...all right!'' Tara said, now completely awake, as she squirmed away from the blonde, trying to get away from her pinching fingers, ''But if I'm cranky today, I'm going to blame it on you'' the brunette told her, as she got up from the bed.

''You can be so melodramatic sometimes'' Penelope rolled her eyes, as she got up from the bed too, and picked up her bathrobe from the chair in their room, before putting it on and tying it up.

''I know'' Tara shrugged, as she put a sweat shirt on over her pajamas, ''But you love that about me'' she stated with a wink, before she opened their bedroom door and walked through it.

''Yes, that I do'' Penelope sighed happily, before following the brunette with a shake of her head.

* * *

When they walked into the kitchen their eyes instantly caught the source of the amazing smells, that had been wafting through their house for the past hour, in the corner of the kitchen. The source being their kitchen table set up with a delicious looking Christmas breakfast, Albert had made them, that both women couldn't wait to dig in.

''Merry Christmas!'' Albert greeted them with a smile, ''I hope you don't mind that I used your kitchen''.

''Of course not'' Penelope told him, ''This looks amazing'' the blonde said, as she sat down in her usual chair, Tara sitting down next to her.

''Yes Dad, this looks great'' Tara told him with a smile, before looking at everything that was made, realizing that this was actually a familiar sight to her, from when she was younger, ''This is our usual Christmas morning breakfast, isn't it?'' Tara questioned her father, as she looked back up to him again.

''It is'' Albert replied with a nod, glad that his daughter had noticed.

''Except for the toast'' Tara said, ''We always had french toast, not normal toast''.

''I know'' Albert nodded, ''But I couldn't find all the ingredients for french toast, so I settled on making normal toast instead'' he told his daughter.

''Thank you'' Tara said softly, appreciating it a lot, ''But you didn't have to do this, you're our guest, we're not yours'' she told her father.

''I know I didn't have to'' Albert said, ''But I wanted to'' he smiled, ''It's just a small thank you for letting me stay here for Christmas'' he told them.

''You don't have to thank us for that'' Tara said, like the man was crazy, ''You're always welcome to stay'' she told him.

''That's good to know'' Albert smiled softly, ''All right...'' he said, ''Lets dig into this food, before it gets cold'' he told the couple.

''Sounds good to me'' Tara smiled back, before filling up her plate.

After a couple of minutes of silence, and the only sounds being eating sounds, Penelope spoke up, ''This is delicious. You really have to learn me the recipe for these eggs'' she told Albert, before putting another forkful of eggs in her mouth.

''Thank you'' Albert smiled, glad breakfast turned out to be a success, ''I'll make sure to write it down for you'' he told the blonde.

''Thank you!'' Penelope smiled back at him.

''Though, Tara, didn't you know how to make these, too?'' Albert looked over to his daughter, ''After all your mother taught you her recipe's'' he said.

Tara swallowed her food before saying ''She did'' with a nod, ''But half of them I've already forgotten, because I don't really have time to properly cook anymore'' she said.

''Besides, last time Tara cooked she burned water, so I don't know if her and a kitchen are the best combination'' Penelope said, teasing clear in her voice.

''Hey! That wasn't my fault'' Tara scoffed, ''If you hadn-'' but the brunette cut herself off, realizing that if she told that story she would reveal a bit too much to her father, something she definitely didn't want, ''I just got distracted and forgot about it'' Tara said instead, ''So...I _can_ cook, I just need the time and concentration for it. That's all'' she told them.

''Yeah, I remember you and your mother cooking every Sunday after Church'' Albert said, a glimmer of sadness invading his eyes, as he thought back to those moments.

''I remember'' Tara told him with a nod, a nostalgic look covering her face, ''I sometimes really miss those moments'' she said with a sigh, her eyes slightly starting to sting with tears, as memories of better and happier family times came to the front of her mind, ''I really miss Mom'' she added, biting her lip to keep her emotions at bay.

Penelope noticed the struggle her fiance was having to keep her strong and tough facade, and took her hand in hers, drawing small and soft circles with her thumb on it. Which she hoped would calm her down, and reassure her that it's okay to cry over her mother, and that she's there for her.

''I know you do'' Albert said softly, still missing his wife a lot too, and hating seeing his little girl hurting over it. Although feeling relieved knowing that the blonde was there for his daughter. That Tara had someone to lean and cry on. Because God knows everyone needs someone like that in their life.

''There's just so much that has happened, that I would've loved to have shared with her'' Tara said, getting choked up by the subject, ''Like graduation, getting my degree, joining the BAU, and especially my engagement and eventual wedding'' the brunette told them, as she looked up to Penelope, who gave her a sad smile, as she knew exactly what her fiance was feeling at the moment. ''I just really wanted her to be here, to experience this with me'' she said, as a tear made its way down her cheek.

''Sweetheart, I have faith and believe that she knows'' Albert said, ''Trust me, she knows exactly where you are, who you are, and what has happened to you'' he told his daughter softly, hoping his words comforted her, as he put a hand on Tara's free hand that laid on the table.

''I believe that too, Dad'' Tara told him, ''But I still would've rather have had her here. Alive'' she said.

''I understand'' Albert said, squeezing his daughter's hand, because he would've rather had his wife alive too, but some things are just not possible.

''God...I feel like such an emotional mess right now'' Tara breathed out, as she squeezed her eyes shut to get rid of the rest of the tears that were threatening to fall.

''There's nothing wrong with crying, or being emotional, Lovebug'' Penelope said, ''Every once in a while it's healthy to let it all out'' she told her fiance.

''Yes, listen to your fiance, Tara'' Albert said, as he agreed with the blonde, ''There is nothing wrong with talking, and crying, once in a while''.

''I know'' Tara said with a nod, ''It's just not what I'm used too'' she told them.

''Maybe you should start getting used to it'' Albert told her, ''It'll make life easier if you just let it out and not bottle it up'' he said, ''Trust me, I've learned that the hard way''.

''I know'' the brunette said, ''And I'll work on it'' she told them, a small but reassuring smile on her face.

''Good'' Albert said softly back.

''And you can always talk to me, and tell me everything, you know that, right? Because I'll always be here for you'' Penelope said, connecting her eyes with the brunette, while holding her hand just a little bit tighter, ''All in, remember'' she told her, looking from one eye to the other and back, making sure her fiance knew she was serious and was here for life.

''I remember'' Tara replied softly, ''And I will'' she said, as a flicker of love shined through her sad eyes, as she felt fortunate to have found someone as caring, and loving, as Penelope, who will be there through everything with her, and who doesn't hold back.

''Good'' Penelope's lips now curled up into a smile.

''All right'' Tara breathed out, ''Enough about the sad stuff'' she said, as she pulled her hand away from underneath her father's hand and wiped it over her face, wiping away the remains of her emotional turmoil, ''Lets eat further, because it would be a waste to have to throw this all away'' she told them.

''That it would be, but are you sure you're fine?'' Albert questioned her, still looking concerned over at his daughter.

''I'm fine, Dad'' Tara said softly, reassuring the man, ''Hungry though'' she told him.

''Okay'' Albert replied with a nod, when he was certain that his daughter was really fine again, ''Lets eat further'' he said, before digging back into his food again.

''We'll talk about this later though, yeah?'' Penelope said softly, so only Tara could hear it. She really didn't want Tara to bottle all these emotions up even further, but knew that if she sometimes didn't push for it, the brunette doesn't really talk. It wasn't like they never talked, because they talked, _a lot_ , but Penelope also knew that there was still so much left to still talk about. And she didn't want the brunette to go through anything alone anymore. She really meant it when she said that she was here for life.

''Yeah, we will'' Tara told her, squeezing the blonde's hand, ''I promise'' she said.

''Okay, good'' Penelope said with a nod, as she let go of her fiance's hand and got back to eating her own breakfast again.

And with that the atmosphere in the room was changed again, and they spend the rest of breakfast talking about happy memories, and happy future plans.

* * *

The holidays went by quickly, and the engaged couple had enjoyed their second Christmas together a lot, especially because their first Christmas together, last year, fell through because of work.

After their Christmas breakfast they had moved to the livingroom and exchanged gifts. And halfway through, Albert was greatly surprised at how much his daughter and her fiance had thought of him when buying gifts. Which made him feel a bit bad that he didn't have as much to offer back, but the pair told him that it was his presence that counted, which he appreciated a lot.

After the gifts exchange, Albert had decided to take the pair into the city around noon for lunch, which was followed with a nice walk in the park and a dinner at home, before they enjoyed an evening filled with playing games, Christmas music, food and easy small talk. All in all the holidays were a happy happening, and Tara was glad that they had invited her father, because Albert seemed not only to be the perfect house guest, but also a great person to spend the holidays with.

And now, a couple days after Christmas, with the help of his daughter, Albert was packing up his stuff again, so he could head back home again.

''I'm really glad you came, Dad'' Tara said, as she watched her father organize his suitcase.

''I'm happy you invited me'' Albert replied.

''Me too'' the brunette smiled, having missed being this close to her father, ''And Penelope really enjoyed you being here, too'' she said, as she told him what the blonde had told her last night.

''That's good'' Albert replied, ''Because I really liked getting to know her'' he admitted honestly, as he sat down next to his daughter on the bed, ''I was a bit apprehensive at first, but you picked a really great woman, Tara'' he told his daughter, before adding, ''I couldn't have picked anyone better for you''.

''Yeah, I don't think I could've either'' Tara said with a soft chuckle, as a smile of adoration for her fiance curled at the corners of her lips.

''I really can see why you chose her to spend the rest of your life with'' Albert told her, ''She's smart, kind, generous _and_ beautiful'' he said, letting his daughter know that he had noticed all those things, the brunette herself already had noticed, about the blonde. And that he completely understood why his daughter chose this specific woman to spend her life with.

''She is'' Tara nodded, ''She really is'' she said, as she felt relieved that her father was accepting of her life choices, ''She's the best, and I really can't wait to make her my wife'' she told him, as a grin, she couldn't contain, spread on her lips.

''Now that's a look I love seeing on your face'' Albert told his daughter, ''Happiness'' he said, as she took Tara's face in his hands and took a good look at her, a satisfying smile forming on his lips, as this was everything he wanted to see on his daughter's face and in her eyes. That this is all he could've ever wished for, for her. Pure happiness.

''Yeah, me too'' Tara replied, her grin turning into a gentle smile, as she loved feeling like this and loved showing it to the whole world.

''Good'' Albert said with a small nod, ''Because you deserve it, Sweetheart'' he told her, as he let go of her face.

''I love you, Dad'' Tara said, appreciating her father's words, _a lot_.

''I love you, too'' Albert smiled, happy to hear those words coming from his daughter, ''Now...come on, and help your old man packing'' he said, as he stood up from the bed again.

''Do you really have to go so soon?'' Tara asked him, as they went further with packing the last things. She really had enjoyed spending so much time with her father, and she didn't want to see it come to an end so soon.

''I'm sorry, Tara, but work it waiting in two days for me, so I don't really have a choice'' Albert told her, wishing he could've spend some more time with his daughter and her fiance, too.

''I understand'' Tara sighed, knowing vacations couldn't last forever. After all, her own small vacation would be over in just a day too.

''But, you know, you can always come our way'' Albert said, ''Maybe it's nice if next Christmas you and Penelope come and visit us for the holidays'' the man suggested, ''I think our family would really like that, and I think they would love to meet Penelope'' he said, looking pointedly at his daughter, giving her not much room to protest if she wanted to.

''Dad, I think they're already going to meet Penelope at our wedding'' Tara said, as she knew for sure that she was going to marry the blonde way before next Christmas.

''Oh yeah, that's right'' Albert nodded, not having thought about that, ''But still...it would be nice to have both of my children with me next Christmas'' he told her, as he referred to Tara and her brother.

''I know'' Tara said softly, knowing her father missed spending time with his whole family, ''I would actually really like that too, and I'm sure Penelope is up for that too, we just have to see if we can work something out with work''.

''Yes, of course'' Albert said, understanding, ''Just see what you two can do'' he told her.

''We will'' Tara said with a smile.

''Great'' Albert smiled back, ''All right...I'm done'' he said, as he zipped up his suitcase, ''Lets get all this downstairs, because we have to leave for the airport in just a short hour''.

''Yes, of course'' Tara replied, getting up from the bed, '''But first this'' she said, as she pulled her father into a hug, holding him tight. Albert, who didn't expect the hug, was happily surprised and right away put his arms around his daughter. The pair holding each other tight for a moment.

''Now we can go downstairs'' Tara said with a smile, as she let go of her father, and picked up the suitcase from the bed, before making her way downstairs, her father following her closely.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n: All right, last chapter before we start the new year in this story, so lets get to it right away!**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

''It looks like Dave went all out for Christmas and New Year's'' Tara said, as the pair walked up the driveway of the house, the brunette looking at all the Christmas decoration that was still in place. She had been to Rossi's place before, but she had never seen it quite like this, so it was a pretty impressive sight to see.

''Oh...you don't even know, Sweetheart'' Penelope said with a chuckle, ''This is only just the outside'' the blonde told her, knowing her fiance hadn't experienced one of Rossi's Christmas or New Year's eve parties before, so this would be fun, ''Rossi doesn't joke around when it comes to hosting a party''.

''I know he doesn't'' Tara replied, having figured that out a while back already, ''I already noticed that at that dinner last year'' she said.

''Chocolate Angel, that was nothing compared to this'' Penelope told her, ''He literally doesn't hold back, trust me''.

''Why doesn't that surprise me from him'' the brunette laughed.

''Yeah, I know right'' Penelope laughed too.

''Tara, Penelope'' a voice interrupted them from behind, making the couple stop mid-step and turn around to the person belonging to that voice.

''Daniel, Jake'' Tara's lips turned up into a beaming smile, having missed them, ''What are you guys doing here?'' she asked.

''That's a warm greeting'' Daniel chuckled, as he pulled the woman into a hug.

''Sorry'' Tara said, pulling away, ''I just didn't expect you here. That's all'' she told him, before turning to Jake and hugging him too.

''Yeah, you never told us you were invited to Rossi's party, too'' Penelope said, giving the pair greeting hugs too.

''I guess we forgot to tell'' Daniel replied, as he pulled away from the blonde, ''Busy life'' he told them.

''We can understand that'' Tara said, the past couple of months not having been too easy on them either, although their small vacation having been a breath of fresh air between the bustle of the BAU life.

''We know'' Daniel replied softly, knowing their jobs, and having heard the stories.

''But it's really good to see you two again'' Jake said, ''It's been too long'' he told them.

''Yes, it's been way too long'' Penelope agreed.

''Yes, definitely _way_ too long'' Jake smiled.

''Guys, you're overreacting a little there, it's only been a month and a half'' Tara told them, an amused look covering her face. Leave it to her fiance and Jake to overreact over something like that. Especially because they've probably been on the phone, calling each other, almost everyday. Which Tara actually really liked. She loves that Penelope has become such close friends with the guys, it just confirms even more how well the blonde fits into her life.

''We know, but that's still a month and a half too long'' Jake stated matter of fact.

''I actually agree'' Daniel said, ''Also...I miss seeing you two in my bar'' he told them.

''We know, Sweetie'' Penelope said with a sigh, because she wished they could go out a lot more too, ''But work gets in the way, _way_ too much'' the blonde told Daniel.

''A lot of bad ones, húh?'' Jake said sympathetically, knowing that their job was a tough one, which made him understand why they couldn't always be out and about.

''Something like that'' Tara replied with a nod of her head, ''Unsubs definitely do not take a break'' the brunette exhaled.

''That sucks'' Daniel said.

''Yeah, that really sucks'' Tara said, as she took a step closer to Penelope, while putting her hands deeper into her coat pockets, trying to gain as much warmth as she could, as she felt the cold slowly seep through her coat.

''Baby, are you cold?'' Penelope questioned, after noticing the brunette getting closer to her and digging her hands deeper into her coat.

''Just a bit'' Tara told her with a shrug, though a shiver showed that she was much colder than she let on.

''Come on, lets get inside'' Penelope said, as she threaded an arm through Tara's.

''Thank you'' Tara replied with a grateful smile.

''Of course'' the blonde smiled softly back, ''Besides, Dave and the others are probably waiting for us by now'' Penelope told the brunette, as she pulled Tara with her to walk further. Daniel and Jack following closely behind them.

''Yeah, probably'' Tara agreed with a nod, as they walked up the steps of the stairs to the frontdoor. The only sound that could be heard the clicking of their heels until the frontdoor opened before they could even knock, or even take the last step up the stairs.

''Ladies. Gentlemen.'' Dave greeted them with a big smile, inviting them immediately in.

''Were you waiting at the door?'' Tara asked amused, as she let go of her fiance, before walking inside and greeting the man with a hug.

''Maybe...maybe not'' Dave shrugged, as he hugged the tall brunette back.

''Trust me, he was waiting by the door'' Hayden told them, teasing the older man.

''We already got that feeling'' Penelope giggled, as she greeted the other woman.

''We brought you a small gift by the way'' Tara said, holding up a bottle of brownish liquid.

''Oh, Dear...you didn't have to do that'' Hayden said, though accepting the bottle of scotch, she knew would probably be empty by the end of the night.

''We couldn't come empty handed, could we?'' Penelope said, as she shrugged off her coat.

''You could've'' Rossi stated, ''But I know you two, so you don't'' he smiled, ''So, thank you'' he told them softly.

''Of course'' Tara waved the thank you away, it not being necessary.

''It looks like we coincidentally thought the same, because we too brought you some alcohol'' Jake chuckled, as he too held up a bottle containing scotch.

''Well...you can _never_ have too much scotch'' Rossi said, as he took the bottle from the guy, ''Thank you, gentlemen'' he told them with a kind smile.

''No problem'' Daniel smiled back.

''It's going to be a fun night, I see'' Hayden laughed, referring to the two bottles of alcohol, and the half dozen of bottles already standing ready to be served in their kitchen.

''As it's supposed to be!'' Jake stated with a grin, as he took off his jacket, while looking around him for a place to hang it.

''Come here'' Hayden set, gesturing to the jacket.

''Thank you'' Jake said thankful, as he handed over his jacket to Hayden.

''All right, lets move this to the livingroom'' Rossi said, after everyone got rid of their coats and jackets.

The two couples followed the pair as they were led through the hallway and into the livingroom, where they were met with soft music, delicious smelling food, and chatter from their family and friends.

''I now understand what you mean'' Tara whispered to her fiance, as she now saw first-handed what a David Rossi party really looked like.

''Anything to drink, ladies?'' a waiter interrupted them, before Penelope could even say anything back.

''Yes, thank you'' Penelope smiled up to the guy, ''A white wine, please'' she said.

''A red one for me, thank you'' Tara told the guy.

''A red and a white one coming right up'' he told them with a polite smile, before walking away.

''Rossi definitely doesn't hold back, does he?'' Tara said, taking in everything and everyone, noticing that they were actually the last ones to arrive.

''Told you'' Penelope smiled, before pulling the brunette with her to mingle themselves with the rest.

* * *

A couple of hours went by, and the night was going great. Upstairs the youngest kids were sleeping, while downstairs the alcohol was flowing, food was eaten, people were dancing and talking, kids were playing, and time was slowly ticking away, coming closer and closer to midnight. All in all, everyone was enjoying themselves a lot.

''Are any of you doing any New Year's resolutions, or something?'' Savannah questioned the group of people she had been sitting with for the past half hour.

''Not really'' Shawn, Joy's husband, shook his head, ''Though I'm secretly hoping for another baby, but that's not really a New Year's resolution, is it?'' he told them, as he looked over to his wife standing across the room talking to her parents, and Jake and Daniel.

''It's not, but it's still a great thing to want in the new year'' Penelope smiled softly to him, secretly having had thoughts about having kids herself lately too.

''It is great, but a handful. Trust me'' Will chuckled, before taking a sip from his beer.

''Yes, trust us. I love both our boys, but they're definitely double the trouble'' JJ agreed with her husband.

''But trouble you love, right?'' Shawn said with a smile, loving his own son unconditionally, no matter what.

''More than anything'' JJ said, a loving smile curling the corners of her lips.

''So, does Joy want another child, too? Or is it just you?'' Hotch asked.

''I don't know'' Shawn replied with a shrug, ''I'm not really sure what Joy actually wants. We haven't really talked about having more kids for a while now'' he told them, ''I think, she thinks, that Kai is enough for now''.

''Talk to her, that is all I can tell you'' JJ told him.

''I know'' Shawn nodded, already planning on doing that some time soon.

''I'm actually looking forward to a second kid, too'' Derek spoke up.

''Derek!'' Savannah called out beside him, ''Hank is only one''.

''So...'' Derek shrugged, ''I want to give him a little brother or sister''.

''I want that too, but not now'' Savannah told him, ''Lets give it another year, or two'' she said.

''All right, we can wait'' Derek told her, ''But, so you know, I want a second one at least''.

''At least?'' Savannah's eyes widened, ''How many kids are you thinking about, Derek''.

''Three, or four, maybe even more'' Derek replied.

''Wow...okay'' Savannah breathed out, this information being new to her, ''We'll talk about this later, because right now I need another drink'' she said, before asking one of the waiters to bring her another glass of white wine.

''That looks like it's going well'' Tara said with an amused chuckle, before taking a sip from her wine.

''Talking about doing well, do you two have any New Year's resolutions?'' Will asked the engaged couple.

''Nope'' Penelope shook her head, ''The only thing I'm going to do next year is marry my gorgeous fiance'' she told them, as she lovingly smiled up to the brunette.

''I second that'' Tara said.

''Talking about the wedding, when can I expect to be a bridesmaid?'' JJ teased.

''You can expect to be that within the next five or six months'' Tara told her, loving all the excitement around their wedding.

''Yes'' Penelope smiled, ''We're trying for a spring or summer wedding'' the blonde said, ''We don't have an actual date yet, but we're definitely trying for that''.

''We'll wait for the invitation, than'' JJ smiled.

''Hopefully we'll be able to make and send those within the next month'' Tara told the blonde, assuring them all that it won't be long until they know when the wedding would be.

''Hey, that reminds me, did you guys hear anything back from the park yet?'' Derek asked, having heard bits and pieces about the wedding planning from Penelope, but nothing concrete. Nothing that told him if anything was already set.

''No, we haven't'' Tara shook her head, ''But they told us that it could take up to two months before we get any confirmations, so there's still about a month and a half left'' she told him.

''Park?'' Savannah questioned, looking at the couple.

''Yes, the local park'' Penelope told them all, ''It's got this beautiful open area with the gazebo, and everything...'' she said.

''You mean the one on the south side? The one that's looking out over the lake?'' JJ asked.

''Yes, that's the one'' Penelope replied with a nod.

''It's really beautiful there'' Savannah said, having spend quite some time at the park lately because of Hank, and knowing exactly which spot the couple was talking about.

''Yes, it is, especially around the spring and summer, which is the reason why we want to do it there'' Penelope told her.

''I can definitely see the appeal to that'' JJ smiled softly, being happy for her friends.

''A venue is great and all, but is there any word on who's going to be the maid or man of honor for you two?'' Emily asked, coming up behind the couple with Mark.

''I'm still thinking about it'' Tara said, though already knowing who she was going to pick to be her maid or man of honor, only wanting to wait until the right time to ask the person.

''I'm still free'' Emily told her, ''So in doubt, choose Prentiss'' she said, a joking undertone in her voice, as she sat down across from them, next to Hotch.

''That sounds like a phrase for a company, or presidential election, or something...'' Tara laughed.

''Who knows what the future holds'' Emily winked.

''They do say that the future is female'' Savannah said.

''Feminism all the way!'' Penelope chanted.

''I cheer and drink to that'' Emily held up her drink.

''Here, here'' JJ cheered, holding up her drink too.

''Well, Guys, it looks like we're not needed anymore'' Mark chuckled.

''Well...that's not _completely_ true'' Emily said, ''There are some things we need you for, like sex'' she told her boyfriend teasingly.

''Wow, Prentiss, really?'' Derek shook his head, though laughing.

''Maybe you need them for that, but I'm fine where I am'' Tara said smug, her sex life having been the best she can remember, so she definitely didn't need a guy.

''Ditto'' Penelope said.

''That good, huh?'' Emily said.

''Oh...they've got it _more_ than just good'' Derek smirked, ''Believe me'' he said, ''I remember last week, when I fou-''.

''Derek!'' Penelope cut him off, a horrified look on her face, as a blush crept into her cheeks.

''Just saying'' he shrugged, though his smirk didn't waver one bit, ''Those pink pan-'' but again he got cut off.

''Oeh, I love this song'' Tara said, talking much louder than needed, so she could talk over the guy, ''Lets dance'' she told the blonde, before pulling her up with her from the couch, whisking her away from the conversation before anyone could say, do, or question anything further, embarrassing them even more.

''Morgan what did you find? What was pink?'' the couple could hear Emily ask, as they walked away from them, making the pair roll their eyes. Leave it to Prentiss to want to hear all the juicy parts.

''Thank you'' Penelope told her fiance grateful, when they were out of earshot, as she followed the brunette to the make shift dance floor Rossi had made in the middle of the livingroom.

''Of course'' Tara smiled softly at the relieved look on Penelope's face, ''I really didn't want to hear Morgan embarrass you and us even more''.

''I know, right'' Penelope sighed, ''That man really does _not_ know when to shut up sometimes''.

''No, he definitely doesn't'' Tara chuckled, ''But you have to keep in mind that you made him your man of honor'' she told the blonde, ''So you _can_ expect stories like that at our wedding''.

''O my God'' Penelope's eyes widened, ''I never even thought about that''.

''It's going to be a really fun wedding reception, isn't it?'' Tara let out a chuckle, as she pulled the blonde closer to her, and started swaying them to the soft sounds coming through the stereo speakers, ''By the way, what _was_ Derek actually talking about?'' the brunette asked, not remembering hearing anything from her fiance about Morgan having found something pink that belonged to them.

''God...'' Penelope exhaled, ''You remember last week, after we came back from Christmas shopping?''.

''Yeah, of course, how can I forget'' Tara said, a small smirk on her lips.

''Get your mind out of the gutter, Miss. Lewis'' the blonde joked.

''What can I say? You made me remember'' Tara shrugged.

''Like you can actually forget'' Penelope told her knowingly.

''Never'' Tara grinned.

''Exactly'' the blonde smiled, ''But yeah, after that night, the next morning Morgan came around early, and as I was making coffee in the kitchen he suddenly bend down next to me and picked something up from the floor'' Penelope told the brunette, before leaning closer to her fiance and whispering, ''That something being my pink panties from the night before''.

''Seriously?'' Tara said.

''Yeah'' Penelope nodded.

''Well, if you think about it, it's actually not _that_ embarrassing'' Tara told her fiance, ''All he got out of that, is that he knows that we've had sex somewhere else than the bedroom'' she said, ''It's not like he actually caught us in the act, or something''.

''Tara!'' Penelope called out a little louder than she intended, gaining a couple of turning heads, which turned back around soon after when they saw that there was nothing to be seen, ''I'm a private person when it comes to that, so that _was_ embarrassing for me''.

''All right, all right'' the brunette said, ''I understand. I wouldn't have been happy about one of our friend's finding my underwear somewhere, and making fun of it, either''.

''Exactly'' Penelope said, ''And you know how much I love my privacy when it comes to that''.

''I know'' Tara said softly, ''I like my privacy, too''.

''I know'' Penelope nodded, knowing that, ''But, yeah, that's what he was talking about''.

''Well, give it a couple of weeks, and he'll probably has forgotten all about it'' Tara said.

''Yeah, right'' Penelope snorted, ''That guy will never forget something like that. Trust me'' she told her fiance, ''He'll keep on teasing us with it for the rest of our lives''.

''Than we just need to be nonchalant about it'' Tara told her.

''Yeah, I guess that'll eventually work'' the blonde agreed.

''All right, enough about that'' Tara told her fiance, as she twirled them around, making the blonde smile again, ''I rather talk about this song'' the brunette said, ''I just _love_ it''.

''I know you do'' Penelope's smile turned sweet, as she pulled the other woman a bit closer, holding her a little bit tighter, as they slowly danced to one of their favorite songs, ''I actually think we should make it our song for our first dance as wife and wife'' the blonde said.

''Really?'' Tara's lips turned up into a smile.

''Yes, really'' Penelope nodded, loving the happiness that shone in the brunette's eyes.

''I really like the sound of that'' Tara said.

''The sound of what? The song part, or the wife and wife part?'' Penelope questioned teasingly.

''The song part'' Tara replied, which made the blonde's heart drop for a second, ''Because the wife and wife part I don't just like, I love it'' she told Penelope, looking into her eyes, showing the other woman how much she means those words.

''That's good to know'' Penelope smiled, as her heart swelled double its size because of the brunette's words, and the look in her eyes, ''So this is our song, húh?'' the blonde said.

''Yes, it definitely is'' Tara smiled softly.

''Good'' the blonde's lips melted into a loving smile.

''All right, everyone! It's almost time.'' Rossi interrupted everyone's moments and conversations, as Hayden turned the music down, and put the television on, which showed that there were only fifteen minutes left before midnight, ''Lets go outside'' Rossi told everyone as he shrugged on his jacket, so he could go set up the fireworks with the help of Hotch and his son in law.

Everyone followed his lead, and after all the kids were woken up, and everyone was dressed warmly enough, they all gathered in the backyard, where they waited the last couple of minutes before the New Year started. And the wait didn't last long, because before they knew it the sound of the ball dropping on the television, and fireworks going off around them could be heard.

''Happy New Year, Tara'' Penelope smiled softly up to the brunette, as everyone around them were exchanging Happy New Year's.

''Happy New Year, Penelope'' Tara replied, before leaning down and pulling the blonde into a kiss, enjoying the first few moments of the new year with the love of her life.

* * *

 **A/n: So this chapter got a bit longer than I thought it would be. I was aiming for a short finishing of the year kind of chapter, just some small happy new year thingy, but instead created this, which is good too! So I hope you liked it, and I'll see you guys next chapter!**

 **Love, Ciao.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/n: Hi everyone, I know it's been a while since I've updated, but that's what happens when life gets in the way of your writing, but here's a new chapter! This chapter will be the last one for this year, and I hope that next year I can finally finish this story! So I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year.**

 **A/n2: This chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

''Thank you so much for babysitting, guys'' JJ said, as she gave Henry and Michael one last goodbye kiss and hug, before handing the two year old over to Tara, while Henry went back to watching tv.

''Of course'' Penelope smiled, ''We love those little rascals, so it's no problem at all watching them for a night''.

''Come on, Jennifer'' Will called out from the hallway, where he had been waiting on his wife for five minutes now, ''We're already running a bit late'' he said.

''I'm coming'' JJ called back to her husband, before turning back to the couple, ''You'll be fine, right?'' she asked them, looking from the couple over to her children and back.

''We'll be fine, Jayje'' Tara told her, pushing the blonde in the direction of the frontdoor, ''Go'' the brunette nodded with her head to the hallway.

''Yes, go'' Penelope said, ''Go and have lots of fun'' she told her friend with a smile, as she walked the blonde to the frontdoor, ''And you know we'll be fine, because it's not like this is the first time Tara and I are watching them'' she said.

''I know'' JJ smiled softly, knowing her children were in more than capable and safe hands with the pair, but they were still her babies, so she naturally worried about them, ''All right, we'll probably be back around 11, maybe a bit later'' the blonde told her friend, ''But if that's the case, I'll call of text you when we're coming home, okay?''.

''Yes, okay'' Penelope replied with a nod, ''And we'll make sure they're in bed before 10'' Penelope told her, ''So, don't worry, and go have fun''.

''Yeah, yeah, we're going now'' JJ said with a chuckle, as she took her purse from the ground and walked through the frontdoor that was held open by Will, before quickly turning around for a second and saying, ''Oh, and call when something's wrong''.

''We will'' Penelope told her.

''Okay, great'' JJ smiled, ''We'll see you guys later''.

''Bye, have a nice night'' Penelope bid them goodbye.

''Bye, Penelope'' Will smiled.

''Bye'' the blonde waved one last time, before closing the door.

Penelope wondered if she was going to be a mother like that someday. A mother who already worried about her children before even leaving the house, when they left them with a babysitter. Or if she would become a parent like Will, trusting people enough to take care of her kids, and have a great evening out once in a while with her wife. It really was something she has been thinking about more and more lately. It was really a feeling that had become stronger and stronger lately. And it wasn't just a feeling of wanting children _someday_ , no it was the feeling of wanting children in the near future, maybe even within the next year.

She only had one problem, and that problem being that Tara and her had never talked about having children, or wanting kids in general. So she didn't know what Tara thought of that topic, she didn't know what the brunette's point of view on that was, and she was worried that they thought differently about it. She was worried that Tara would never want any children.

With a deep sigh, and thoughts of how to broach such a big subject like that, Penelope walked back into the livingroom again, where she was met with a sight that she secretly hoped would in the near future be something she would see on a regular basis, with their own children. Tara was sitting on the couch with Michael already half asleep on her lap, monkey style, with the little guy's head laying on the brunette's chest, while he was softly sucking on his thumb, while his other hand, that was around Tara's neck, tightly held his stuffed bear. And Penelope couldn't think of a more cuter side than that, making her heart melt, as the ache for having her own children with her fiance intensified inside of her.

''Aunt Penelope?'' Henry's voice interrupted the blonde's train of thoughts, making her look over to the boy sitting on the ground infront of the tv.

''Yes, sweetie'' Penelope replied.

''Can we watch a horror movie?'' the boy asked.

''W-what?'' Penelope asked surprised, exchanging a look with Tara, who had the same look on her face, as she sat down on the couch next to her fiance.

''You want to watch a horror movie?'' Tara asked the boy, wanting to make sure that Henry knew what he just had asked.

''Yes'' Henry replied with a nod.

''Which one?'' Penelope asked.

''Well, there's this new movie I've heard everyone talking about at school'' Henry told his aunt, ''It's called IT'' he said.

''Come again'' Penelope almost choked on her own words, and she saw Tara quietly chuckle in her peripheral vision, which made her throw the woman a glare.

''I wanna watch the IT'' Henry repeated his words, ''Can we?'' he asked hopeful, wanting to know what everyone was talking about, including his friends.

''I don't know, Henry'' Penelope replied with a sigh, ''I don't think your parents would allow you to watch a movie like that'' she said.

''But I heard that it's not _that_ scary'' Henry argued, ''It's just about a clown''.

''Exactly'' Penelope said, ''Which is why we're _not_ going to watch it'' she told him.

''Wait...'' Henry narrowed his eyes at his aunt, a small smirk forming on his lips, ''Are you scared of clowns, aunt Penelope?''.

''What...no, of course not'' Penelope huffed, as she crossed her arms, like that would make her lie believable.

''You are, aren't you?'' Henry grinned, amused.

''Yes, she is'' Tara told the boy, teasing her fiance.

''I hate you'' Penelope threw the woman another glare.

''I love you, too'' Tara winked teasingly to her.

''But clowns aren't even scary'' Henry frowned, not having noticed the moment between the pair, as he was too busy thinking back to every encounter he's had with a clown, and coming up empty with any of them being scary in his eyes.

''Honey, the IT clown isn't just a normal clown'' Penelope told him softly, hoping to make him understand, ''It's an Horror clown''.

''Oh...'' Henry said, not having thought about that, but it not actually phasing him, ''I still want to see it'' he shrugged, not caring about the horror part, ''I'm old enough''.

''Actually...you're not'' the blonde told him, ''The movie is for 12 or 16 years and older''.

''I thought it was 13'' Tara said, as she saw a poster for the movie hanging at the cinema a while back with that age rating.

''That's possible, too. But it doesn't matter with age it says, you're too young, Henry'' Penelope told him.

''And what if we don't tell Mom and Dad?'' he said, while showcasing his best smile, hoping to win over his aunt.

''Yes, what if we don't tell them?'' Tara said, helping the boy.

''You're going to help him? Really?'' Penelope looked incredulously over to the brunette.

''What?'' Tara shrugged, ''I've wanted to watch the movie for a while now, too'' she told the blonde.

''Really!'' Henry perked up at that, ''Than can we please, pretty please, watch it now?'' Henry asked again, hoping that with Tara on his side, he'd be able to make Penelope cave and say yes.

''I'll promise to hold your hand at the scary parts'' Tara teased.

''It is that you've got that sweet baby boy in your arms'' Penelope glared at the brunette.

''I'm just trying to be sweet here'' Tara replied innocently.

''Yeah, right'' Penelope rolled her eyes, knowing her fiance better than that, ''But...all right'' she sighed, ''We can watch the movie'' she told them.

''Yes!'' Henry fist-bumped the air, before quickly picking up the remote from beside the tv, so he could put Netflix on.

'' _But_...'' Penelope said sternly, making the boy stop halfway, ''If it gets too scary for you, we're turning it off, okay'' she told Henry pointedly.

''Okay'' Henry nodded, before picking up the remote and putting it on the right channel.

''You think JJ and Will are going to be okay with this?'' Tara said, looking beside her to her fiance, as she shifted the little boy in her arms a bit, to get more comfortable.

''I don't know'' the blonde shook her head, stroking her fingers softly through Michael's hair, soft snores already leaving his mouth, making Penelope smile, ''They're probably not really okay with it'' she said, ''But we'll hear about that when they get back, or when Henry starts having nightmares about killer clowns''.

''We'll just make sure to let him watch a comedy, or something, before bringing him to bed'' Tara said, ''Which probably will help you, too'' the brunette joked.

''Really?'' Penelope raised an eyebrow, ''You do understand that I realize that horror movies are fake, right? That I don't need something fun to make them forget about them'' she said, ''Although it helps'' she admitted.

''I know, Love'' Tara said, ''I'm just teasing you''.

''You better be'' Penelope joked back, making her fiance chuckle, ''Though, I wouldn't _actually_ mind you holding my hand'' the blonde told Tara honestly, not being the biggest hero when it came to all things horror, even though she knew that it's fake.

''Of course'' Tara replied softly.

''Aunt Penelope? Aunt Tara?'' Henry interrupted them, making the pair look over at the boy now standing infront of them.

''Yes, sweetie'' Tara replied.

''Can I sit in the middle?'' the boy pointed to in between Penelope and Tara.

''Of course you can'' Penelope smiled softly, scooting away from her fiance to make some space for her godson, ''Enough room?'' she questioned, as Henry sat down in the middle.

''Yes'' Henry nodded, as he pulled his knees up to his chest, and leaned into the blonde's side.

''Everyone ready and comfortable?'' Tara asked, taking the remote from Henry.

''Yes!'' Penelope and Henry replied in unison.

''Lets start the movie, than'' Tara said, before pressing play.

* * *

45 minutes and some scare effects later, Tara was almost emotionless looking at the tv, while Penelope and Henry were hiding their eyes from the screen from time to time.

''This is meant to be a horror movie?'' Tara said unimpressed, as she raised her eyebrow at the scene that was playing, the movie not really having the scare and horror effect on her.

''You don't find this scary?'' Penelope looked incredulously over to her fiance, ''Look at that weirdly large forehead and don't forget that creepy smile of his'' she said, cringing at the sight.

''This was a mistake'' Henry said, as he for the tenth time, in the past five minutes, turned his head away from the screen, burying his face in his knees, ''Can we watch something else now?'' he asked, his voice muffled.

''Of course, Honey'' Penelope immediately replied to him, having no problem whatsoever with putting something else much more fun on.

''Come on'' Tara rolled her eyes, ''You're scared of a clown with a red balloon?''.

''Not just a clown with a red balloon'' Henry's head shot up, looking up beside him to the brunette, ''A clown who's got crazy teeth, and who _eats_ kids'' he argued, ''I find that scary'' the young boy admitted.

''Okay'' Tara's face softened, ''Lets watch another movie, something more fun'' she said, knowing that a movie like this was much scarier in the eyes of a ten year old, so she had to compromise. She'll just watch the movie further with her fiance, or one of her friends, ''So...which movie should we watch, then?'' the brunette asked, as she picked up the remote from beside her on the couch, taking a quick peak at Michael, who she had laid down on the couch next to her halfway through the movie, and finding him still soundly asleep.

''Big hero 6'' Henry instantly replied, glad that they were changing movies.

''That is a great movie'' Penelope agreed with her godson's film choice.

''Than big hero 6 it is'' Tara smiled, before searching for the movie in the animation section, finding it after a couple of minutes, ''Here it is'' the brunette said, pressing play, ''But when this is over, you have to go to bed, okay'' she told the boy.

''Okay'' Henry said with a nod, before looking back to the tv, and paying the adults no more attention.

''Should we bring Michael to bed now?'' Penelope asked her fiance, as she saw the time on the clock reading 8.53 pm.

''Lets wait a bit'' Tara said, as the pair both looked over to the sleeping two year old, ''We'll bring him upstairs when Henry goes to bed, okay?''.

''Yeah, okay, sounds good'' the blonde replied with a nod, Michael looking too peaceful and cute to move at the moment anyway.

* * *

''Come on Henry, it's bedtime'' Tara said, as the credits started to roll down the screen, and the time on the clock read 10.24 pm.

''I don't think he can hear you'' Penelope giggled softly, as she looked down at the young blonde sleeping against her side.

''Henry...'' Tara gently shook the boy, but she got nothing, ''Sweeties, it's bedtime'' the brunette tried again, but still nothing.

''It looks like you've got to carry him upstairs, because I don't think he's going to wake up'' Penelope told the brunette, as she looked down at the sweet sleeping face of her godson.

''Yeah, I don't think so, either'' Tara agreed.

''If you take care of him, I'll take care of Michael, yeah'' Penelope said.

''Yeah, okay'' Tara nodded, before picking up Henry from beside the blonde, the boy giving a small kick before peacefully sleeping further, ''Love, can you take off his glasses?'' the brunette asked, as she wasn't able to do that while having the boy in her arms.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope said, as she stood up and took the glasses from Henry's face, before leaving a goodnight kiss on his forehead.

''I'll see you downstairs in a bit'' Tara told the blonde, before walking out of the livingroom, leaving Penelope alone with Michael.

Penelope watched her fiance walk away until she disappeared, before turning around and putting Henry's glasses down on the coffeetable, before walking over to the little boy that was still soundly sleeping on the couch.

''All right, little man, lets get you to your room too'' Penelope said, as she picked up the boy, holding him close against her body, his head falling into the crook of her neck, ''Wow, you're definitely getting heavier'' she chuckled, as she walked them to the stairs.

But halfway up the stairs, Michael seemed to realize that he was being moved and instantly started to cry out, because he apparently didn't like his sleep being interrupted.

''Sshh...'' Penelope gently rocked the little boy in her arms, hoping it would help him calm down, but it did nothing, ''Lets see what's wrong'' Penelope said, as she entered Michael's room, right away going for the changing table. Knowing JJ and Will hadn't yet been able to properly potty train the little boy, so he was still wearing diapers, especially at night.

''Do you need a diaper change, baby boy?'' Penelope cooed, as she undressed the little boy, who was now softly sniffling, ''Oh yes, you do'' the blonde said, as she undid the diaper, instantly a strong smell filling the room, ''You're a smelly one'' Penelope said, as she quickly wiped the mess clean and changed the diaper, before changing Michael into his pajamas and putting him down in his crib for a bit, so she could throw the dirty diaper away and wash her hands.

As she returned from the bathroom she picked Michael up again from his crib, and cradled him in her arms, ''That's better, isn't it'' Penelope said, his crying having stopped completely now, as he now instead was looking up to the blonde with his big eyes, eyes that were starting to blink heavily to fight off sleep for a little while longer.

''Penelope?'' Tara's head came around the opening of the bedroom door.

''Yes, Lovebug?'' Penelope replied, turning to the sound of her fiance's voice.

''I already thought I heard you here'' Tara said, while softly smiling at the sight of Michael in her fiance's arms, as she walked into the room, ''Did you already give him something to drink?'' she asked, walking up to the pair.

''No'' Penelope shook her head, ''Haven't had the time yet'' the blonde said.

''Shall I do it?'' Tara said.

''Yeah, sure'' Penelope nodded, while handing Michael over to Tara, ''I'll just go downstairs and fill a sippy cup for him'' the blonde said.

''Okay'' Tara replied, walking over to the rocking chair in the room and sitting down, while the blonde went downstairs.

Five minutes later and Penelope walked back into the room again a sippy cup, filled with juice, in her hands, ''Here you go'' the blonde said, handing over the cup to her fiance, before leaning against the changing table.

''Thank you'' Tara smiled, before looking down at the little boy in her arms, ''You want your sippy cup, Michael?'' Tara coaxed the boy to take the cup.

''Yes'' Michael sleepily nodded his head, while taking the cup from Tara and putting it in his mouth.

Penelope looked adoringly on at the sight of her fiance and Michael for a couple of minutes. Loving the way Tara was looking down at the little boy. And without thinking, words that have been on her mind for a while now, left her mouth, ''We should take children, too'' the blonde said softly.

''W-what?'' Tara's head shot up. Did she hear that right?

''Uhh...n-nothing. Never mind'' Penelope immediately dismissed the words, looking away, Tara's reaction not filling her with much hope. After all, it's not like they've ever talked about the subject before. And they've only been engaged for a couple of months now, so she even doubted that Tara was thinking about something as life changing as children, especially with their busy lives.

''No nothing, and no never mind'' Tara said, shifting Michael in her arms, so she could safely stand up without him falling out of her arms, before standing up and walking over to Penelope, who now looked back up to the brunette again, her eyes connecting with the soft brown ones from her fiance.

Tara took a hold on Penelope's waist with her right hand, and looked straight into her eyes, ''You want children?'' Tara asked, intently searching the blonde's face for answers.

''Y-yes'' Penelope told her honestly.

''Okay'' Tara said with a nod, ''Than lets talk about it'' she said, her lips melting into a soft and loving smile; a smile that was only reserved for the blonde.

''But we just got engaged'' Penelope replied, ''Don't you think we should at least wait until after we're married to talk about it?'' the blonde said, although feeling ecstatic at the fact that Tara was willing to talk about the subject. All her doubts of them thinking differently about children slowly fading away from her body and mind.

''We don't have to, if we don't want to'' Tara told her with a shrug, ''But for now, lets just talk about it'' she said, ''There's no rush, right?''.

''Right'' Penelope's lips curled up into a happy grin, her eyes shining with love for the wonderful woman infront of her.

''But first...lets put this little guy down'' Tara said, ''After that we can talk at home, because I think JJ and Will will be home soon''.

''Sounds good'' Penelope nodded, still grinning, ''That sounds really good''.

''Great'' Tara's smiled turned into a grin too, as she leaned over to give the blonde a quick kiss, before going further with Michael's nightly routine. While they both silently hoped that JJ and Will were coming back home soon, so that they could go home and have the talk, Penelope has been dying to have for the past month or two.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/n: I know this chapter is shorter than my usual ones, but for now this is all I can give you guys. Hopefully next chapter will be longer again and I can give you some more. But for now I hope you enjoy this continuation of the last chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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About an hour later JJ and Will finally returned back home again, and after an exchanging of words about how the night went, Tara and Penelope made their way back home again too. The whole twenty minute car ride to their house being filled with silence, as they were both in their own heads thinking about the subject that was broached earlier in the evening; a subject that they hadn't talked about before, but both were glad had finally come up. Because, to be honest, Penelope wasn't the only one who had a wish of becoming a mother. If Tara was honest, she had to admit that she felt the desire to have children too lately. Which was something she hadn't actually felt strongly about before.

''Do you want to talk now, or wait until morning?'' Tara asked her fiance, as she drove their car into the garage.

''I know it's getting late, but I really want to talk about it now'' Penelope said looking beside her to the brunette, not wanting to wait any longer to have this conversation now that she knew that her fiance possibly wanted the same thing as her.

''All right'' Tara replied with a nod, ''Then we'll talk about it now'' she said softly, as they got out of the car. ''If you can just lock everything up'' Tara told the blonde, ''Then I'll make us some coffee, yeah?'' she looked over to Penelope, who was just closing her car door.

''Yeah, sure'' Penelope replied with a nod of her head, ''Just...instead of coffee, I rather have some tea'' the blonde said. It was already getting late, nearing 12, so if she would drink coffee now she probably wouldn't be sleeping within the next three hours.

''Herbal tea?'' Tara questioned, knowing the blonde's preferences by heart, as she locked the car, before closing the garage door.

''Yes, and with a tea spoon of sugar'' Penelope smiled, as the pair walked through the garage door into the hallway of their house. Warmth immediately enveloping them.

''Anything for you'' Tara smiled back, as they both took off their coats and shoes.

After that both women went their own way. Penelope went through the house and checked every lock, while Tara went to the kitchen and busied herself with making them some tea. And ten minutes later both women were settled on the couch, with steaming hot mugs of tea, both sneaking glances at each other to see if the other was going to speak up, as they both didn't really know where to start, or how to start, this conversation.

''So...children?'' Penelope eventually questioningly said, not being sure of her words but having to begin somewhere.

''Yes...children'' Tara repeated with a nod.

''You really want them?'' Penelope asked, looking intently at the woman, hoping that it wasn't just an in the moment thing because there was a young child and it was cute at the moment.

''Yeah...'' Tara replied, a loving smile forming on her lips, as she really though about it. She really could see them with a couple of kids. She could really see them welcoming a child into their home and becoming a family. ''I think...I think I really want them'' she said.

''Wait...you _think_?'' Penelope said, stopping midway from taking a sip from her tea, not sure if that was a good enough answer for her. Because, what if the brunette halfway through thought this wasn't actually what she wanted.

''I'm sorry, I said that wrong'' Tara said, realizing the mistake she made by saying it like that, ''I don't just _think_ I want them. I'm _sure_ that I want them. I really want children with _you_ '' she told her fiance, making sure that Penelope knew that she was completely serious about this. And also making sure that the blonde knew that with her she wanted everything, and that she was the only one she's ever wanted that with.

''Good'' Penelope exhaled a breath of relieve, ''Because I really want children with _you_ , too'' she said, understanding what Tara meant and meaning the same thing. Because, yes, she's been in relationships before where things were serious, she even almost got proposed to by one of them, but something like this - something this big and life changing - she never felt so strongly about before, until now.

''Really?'' Tara looked up at the blonde, not having realized that Penelope felt the same about it.

''Yes, really'' Penelope nodded, ''I've never been at that point in a relationship before, where I would start talking about children, or where I even wanted to discuss it'' she told the brunette, taking a hold on Tara's hand that laid between them on the couch, ''So...yeah, you're the only one I've ever wanted children with, too'' she said, squeezing her hand.

''This might sound selfish, but that actually makes me really happy to hear'' Tara said honestly.

''Well, than I'm selfish, too'' Penelope said with a chuckle, ''Because it feels good to hear you say the same thing, too'' she told her.

''I'm glad'' Tara gently smiled.

''Yeah, me too'' the blonde replied, a warm smile curling the corners of her lips. ''How many children were you actually thinking of?'' Penelope asked, as she let go of her fiance's hand so she could bring her mug up to her lips, and take a sip of her tea.

''I don't know'' Tara replied with a shrug, not having thoroughly thought about that yet, ''I think I would love to have at least two. Just so they would always have someone, you know.'' she said.

''Yeah, I want that too'' Penelope agreed, thinking the same thing, ''I really want our child to grow up with a sibling or two'' she said.

''I like the sound of that'' Tara smiled softly, as she loved the sound of _our child_ coming from the blonde's lips. ''Siblings can be a bitch, but I'm still glad that I've got Gabriel, because no matter what we still love each other and have each other''.

''Exactly'' Penelope said, ''It's the reason why I want more than just one child, because I want them to always have someone to hold on too, you know'' she told the brunette, ''I grew up as an only child, and don't get me wrong I had it good, but now I don't have anyone anymore. There's literally no one left. No siblings, no relatives, no one.'' she sighed sadly, as she looked down into her mug. ''And it sucks, because I know I've got you, and our family and friends, but I would've loved to have had a sibling, or my parents, just someone that was still here with me. Especially now that all these great things are happening in my life, in _our_ life'' she said, tears stinging her eyes, as she thought about all the loss she's already experienced in her life.

''Hey...'' Tara said softly, taking a hold on Penelope's chin, making her look back up at her again, ''I can't understand all of the things you've been through ever since you were eighteen, because I wasn't there when it all happened, but I can sympathize and empathize, and I can promise you that I'll always be here for you.'' she told the blonde, wiping away a tear that was falling down her cheek with her thumb. ''I can promise you that I'll try my hardest to make you feel as loved, and safe, as you can possibly feel. And I'm going to make sure that for the rest of our lives you'll never going to feel alone _ever_ again.'' Tara said, the conviction in her voice making Penelope tear up even more, making more tears roll down her cheeks.

Penelope exhaled a shuddering breath, ''I love you _so_ much, you know that'' the blonde said, as she looked between the tears, that were clouding her vision, into the brunette's eyes, the intense caring look Tara was giving her back filling her with warmth and all the emotions you could think of when thinking about love. Tara could literally cause a whirlwind of feelings inside of her, and she couldn't understand what she had done in her life to deserve such an incredible woman, who gave her feelings like this, and looked at her like that.

''Baby, don't cry'' Tara said softly, putting down both their mugs on the coffee table, before pulling the blonde into her arms, feeling Penelope bury her face in her neck and hold onto her tightly.

''I- I...I'm just...I don't know'' Penelope could get out before a waterfall of tears started to fall from her eyes and down her face, ''I r-really don't know'' she said between sobs and sniffles.

''It's okay, Sweetheart'' Tara murmured into the blonde's hair, leaving a kiss on the top of her head, as she tried to comfort her and calm her down.

''It's just...I love y- you so much'' Penelope choked out, ''And talking about k- kids...and think- thinking about our wedding...it just makes me emotional, be- because I always thought m- my parents would be there to experience that with me. That I could sh- share it with them.'' she told her fiance, pain- and sorrow lacing her voice, as sobs again wrecked her body.

''I know, Honey. I know.'' Tara said, her voice strained, as her heart hurt for the beautiful woman in her arms. ''Just let it all out.'' she told the blonde just above a whisper, as tears of her own started to sting her eyes and roll down her face. She hated seeing her fiance hurt, and it made her feel helpless that there was nothing she could do to give Penelope what she longed to have. ''It's going to be okay'' Tara assured her, her voice thick with tears.

Tara didn't know how long they ended up sitting there, like that, and for how long she was silently crying herself, while Penelope was full on sobbing on her shoulder. But she did know that she didn't care. She did know that she wouldn't let go unless Penelope told her to, and until she knew - for sure - that her fiance was fine again, and there was no more tears left to cry. And it didn't matter that it was already nearing two in the morning, or that their position wasn't the most comfortable one, because as long as Penelope needed her to hold her, to comfort her, and reassure her with gentle words, she'd be there and wouldn't let go.

So it came as no surprise when eventually both of them were too emotionally drained and ended up falling asleep on the couch, in each other's arms, with no more tears left to cry.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/n: So we're getting really close to the wedding now, I'm really excited for that chapter because that one I do have planned out in my mind, so updates will hopefully be more frequent from now on, but that also means that we'll be getting much closer to the end of this story! I'm sad to finish this piece, because it has been with me for so long, but I'm also happy to finally finish it _because_ it has been with me for so long, and also I think you guys really deserve a proper ending, and not an even more dragged out story (as it has been dragged out a bit already). So without any further babbling on my part lets start reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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A couple of weeks past and Tara could see that- that night was still something Penelope carried with her; that even though happy times were coming soon, and they agreed on having children, there was still a glint of sadness left in her eyes. And she could understand it, because she's got the same glint of sadness in her own eyes, and she knew that it's something that will stay there forever - it won't fade away. Once you've lost someone close to you, that affected your life so intensely, you'll never completely get over it, you'll always carry it with you.

And even though they both know and realize that they've got the team and their friends, who feel like family to them, and Tara still had her father- and brother and some other relatives left, they still missed the presence of those few people - those few valuable people - who are still strongly missed every single day.

That's why even though there are so many things - cheerful things - happening for them in the near future, there will always be an underlying sadness, because of the people that won't be there to experience those events with them. People that should've lived much longer than they did, and should've been there to help them prepare- and plan the wedding; who should've been there to help them with dress shopping, and witness them getting married and eventually getting children.

But even though they both seemed to not be able to shake that glint in their eyes, and the feelings they felt, they were still happier than ever. The talk about children- and their future solidifying their relationship even more, making them realize now more than ever that this was it - they were _it_ for each other. Which made them excited for their future, and if things couldn't get any better than that they finally - after a six week wait - got the phonecall that confirmed that the park will be theirs to hold the wedding at on May 24th. And with that they finally could really start planning and organizing everything, and put everything into motion. Which led Tara to finally ask the person, she has been meaning to ask for a while now, to be her maid of honor.

''Emily'' Tara said, as she knocked on the Chief's officedoor, gaining the attention from the other woman.

''Oh hey, Tara'' Emily greeted her, as she looked up from her paperwork, ''What can I do for you?'' she asked, putting her pen down.

''Nothing really, at least not work related'' Tara replied, ''I just wanted to ask you something''.

''Okay, sit down and ask away'' Emily said, as she gestured to the chairs infront of her desk.

''Well...you know in a couple of months I'm going to get married'' Tara said, as she sat down and looked over to the other woman.

''Yes, I know'' Emily nodded, ''I'm really looking forward to it, because you both deserve all the happiness that's coming your way'' the raven haired woman said with a sweet smile.

''Thank you'' Tara replied softly, glad their friends- and family were completely behind them.

''Of course'' Emily nodded, it being no big deal, ''So what did you wanted to ask me?'' she asked, already getting a feeling because of the subject of the wedding and because Tara still hadn't asked anyone about the maid- or man of honor role, while Penelope already had asked Morgan like a week or two after they got engaged.

''I wanted to ask you if you would like to go dress shopping with me'' Tara said, holding off for a bit longer what she actually wanted to ask, because she had a feeling that Prentiss was already secretly expecting it, and she didn't want to give into that just yet.

''Yeah...sure, I would love to come along with you'' Emily replied with a sincere smile on her face, because although she had silently hoped to be asked for something else, she was already happy enough to just be part of the planning- and the wedding itself; to just be there for them and finally watch them tie the knot.

''Okay, great'' Tara smiled.

''So when is this appointment for dress shopping?'' Emily asked.

''Two weeks from tomorrow'' Tara told her.

''Okay, sounds good'' Emily nodded her head, ''I'll make sure to have my agenda cleared for then'' she said.

''Great. Thank you!'' the brunette smiled.

''Though I have to admit that I'm not the best person to go shopping with'' Emily said, admitting to her dislike of clothes shopping. It wasn't that she hated shopping, because she doesn't, it's just in general she doesn't have much time- and energy to go shopping. So instead of walking through busy and loud shops, that'll only make her grumpy, she prefers the easy access of the internet - which gives her millions of shops to order from online. And she knew this wasn't _that_ kind of shopping, but she still wanted to warn the brunette beforehand of her foul mood when it comes to shopping.

''I know'' Tara chuckled, ''I've been to the city with you a couple of times, but this isn't just a normal shopping trip, you know'' she said pointedly, reminding the other woman that this shopping trip is with a specific purpose that doesn't include going from shop to shop- and walking their feet sore.

''That is true'' Emily said, knowing that, ''And I'm not complaining or anything. I love to go with you, I was just saying'' she shrugged, ''So...do you already know what kind of dress you want? Anything already that caught your eye?'' she asked curious.

''I haven't been to any bridal shops, but I've looked around on the internet'' Tara told her, ''So I don't have a specific dress in mind yet, but I do have some ideas for what I want'' she said with a growing gentle smile, as she thought about how close she it to marrying her love, and that there are only a few things left to check off of their list - including dress shopping - before their special day.

''That's good, and I'm positive we can find you something'' Emily smiled, ''And if you don't, there are other shops around town we can go to'' she said, ''They might not be exactly bridal style, those shops, but they're fancy enough''.

''Yeah, I know. That's why I'm not worried'' Tara replied with a nod, ''All I am is excited'' she said.

''I get that'' Emily said softly, really loving seeing her friend like this, especially because Penelope looks the exact same way when talking about the wedding, ''Does Penelope already have a dress'' the raven haired woman asked, because she knew JJ went with the blonde to go dress shopping about a week ago, but she never heard if Penelope actually got one.

''I actually don't know'' Tara replied, ''She won't tell me anything when it comes to the dress'' she told her, ''Which I understand'' she said, ''After all we did decide to go the traditional way, and not show each other what we're going to wear until we meet each other at the altar'' the brunette said.

''The traditional way húh'' Emily said with a slight smirk, ''So with the whole sleeping apart- and not seeing each other until the altar traditional?'' she questioned, amused.

''Yeah...'' Tara sighed, ''That kind of traditional''.

''You don't look very happy with it'' Emily said with a chuckle, as she crossed her arms.

''It's not like I really mind it _that_ much'' Tara said.

''But...?'' Emily said, knowing there was one following.

'' _But_ , I rather would have wanted to spend our last night before getting married together, you know'' Tara said with a shrug.

''To what?'' Emily laughed, ''Have sex one last time as 'single' people''.

''No'' Tara rolled her eyes, ''That's not what I meant'' she said, ''It's more like _sharing_ that last night as single people together, before we get joined for life you know'' the brunette told her, ''I'm probably not making any sense, but...yeah, that's more the reason''.

Emily's face softened at Tara's words, and she could actually understand the sentiment of it. Of wanting to spend the last night before you get married together, and not apart. There _is_ something really sweet about that.

''Maybe you should tell Penelope that'' Emily said.

''I've tried'' Tara said, ''But she won't budge'' she told her, ''So make sure to have a bed for me to sleep on for that night'' Tara joked.

''I'll make up the couch'' Emily teased.

''The couch, really'' Tara raised an eyebrow.

''It's all I've got, sorry'' Emily replied with an apologetic look, hoping her colleague didn't actually mind sleeping on her couch for one night, ''Though I do have an airmattress, so that's an option too'' she said, ''Or you can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch, it's your party''.

''Nah, don't bother'' Tara replied, ''I was only kidding'' she said, ''Penelope is actually staying at the Morgan's with JJ, so I've got the house for myself, no need to stay anywhere else'' she told her.

''That sounds lonely'' Emily said.

''Just a little'' Tara said with a shrug, ''That's why I'm planning my bacholerette party for then'' she said, ''Although it's probably going to end up being just a night of drinking alcohol- and eating food while we watch movies - or something''.

''You know I'm always down for that, so count me in'' Emily replied with a smile, ''Food- and booze, what more do you want''.

''I know right'' Tara said with a laugh.

''So...'' Emily said, dragging the word out, as she didn't want to come over too forward, but she was really, _really_ curious as to if the brunette had already chosen her maid- or man of honor.

''So...what?'' Tara said with a raised eyebrow, acting innocent.

''Talking about the wedding...and the bacholerette party'' Emily said, casting her eyes anywhere but her friend, not wanting to overstep any lines, ''Have you already chosen someone to be you maid- or man of honor?'' she asked.

''I have'' Tara nodded, letting the raven haired woman sit and wait there for a bit longer.

''And...?'' Emily raised both her eyebrows in anticipation.

''I hope you're up for wearing an ugly colored dress'' Tara told her as serious as she could, though a small smile appeared on her lips.

''Wait...'' Emily's lips turned up into a smile, ''You choose me?''.

''Of course I choose you'' Tara rolled her eyes at her friend, like it wasn't obvious.

''Thank you!'' Emily's smile turning into a beaming one, as she stood up and walked around her desk so she could pull the brunette into a hug, ''I've actually been wondering when you'd finally ask me'' she teased.

''Yeah, I already got that feeling at the New year's eve party'' Tara chuckled, as she pulled out of the hug.

''Funny enough, back then I was actually only putting out ideas'' Emily told her, ''Because, honestly, I actually thought you were going to ask your brother because, you know, it's the obvious'' she said, leaning against her desk.

''I did think about it for a while, about choosing him'' Tara told her, ''But in the end I didn't want obvious, I wanted someone who's close to me- and has been there since the beginning of Penelope- and I's relationship''.

''I understand'' Emily replied softly, ''And I'm really happy you choose me'' she said.

''There was no one else but _you_ I wanted to ask'' Tara told her with a smile and a small shrug.

''Good'' Emily smiled.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/n: New chapter! I'm still busy rewriting this story, which I'm luckily almost done with, but I thought that a new chapter was in much need too! I hope you enjoy it, and leave some love behind if you want.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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''Any reason why you decided you wanted me to tag along?'' Reid questioned Tara as they, together with Emily, walked through the door of the bridal shop.

''Not necessarily'' Tara shook her head, ''Should there have been?'' she asked him.

''No'' Reid quickly replied, as he shook his head. Not wanting Tara to think that he would've only come along if she gave him a really good reason, although this wasn't really his scene, ''I'm just not really the person people ask, for these kind of things. That's all'' he said.

''Well...you are in my bridal party'' Tara stated, ''So, it should've been obvious that I wanted your opinion'' she told him with a smile, because she really did value her friend's opinion. All of them. ''Besides...'' she said, ''We need to get you a suit, and Emily a bridesmaid's dress''.

''I do hope you've thought about my suggestion of not putting me in a traditional hideous one'' Emily said jokingly.

''You both know that I'm not cruel enough to do that'' Tara said.

''Maybe...'' Emily shrugged, ''But...who knows, perhaps you've got a mean streak you've always hidden from us'' she teased.

''Really?'' Tara raised an eyebrow, ''I thought you guys were profilers'' she said, ''If you haven't figured me out by now, than I don't know what you're doing in the BAU'' she told them, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.

''Ha, ha, ha'' Emily rolled her eyes.

''Just saying'' Tara said, as she held her hands up in defense.

''Hello, can I help you?'' a woman, not taller than 5ft 4, walked up to them, interrupting them.

''Hello, yes'' Tara turned to the woman, suddenly feeling really tall, ''I've got an appointment under the name Tara Lewis''.

''Ah, yes'' the woman nodded, ''You're with me'' she smiled, ''My name is Aria Robbins'' she introduced herself.

''Nice to meet you'' Tara smiled, ''I'm Tara, and this my maid of honor Emily and my brides-man, so to say, Spencer'' she said, introducing her friends.

''It's nice to meet you all, too'' Aria said with a smile, ''So...do you know what you're looking for? Do you have anything specific in mind?'' the blonde asked.

''Actually, I don't'' Tara replied, ''I haven't really looked around yet, though I would love a strapless dress'' the brunette told her.

''All right, that's a start, we've definitely got a lot of those kind of dresses'' Aria told her, ''If you give me a couple of minutes, I'll try to gather some dresses together that might suit you, okay''.

''Yes, sounds good'' Tara nodded.

''Great'' Aria smiled, ''If you want you can take a seat over there'' the blonde pointed to the couch standing in the corner of the shop, that was beside the dressing rooms, ''Or you can take a look yourself, see if you can find something you like''.

''Okay, thank you'' Tara smiled.

''No problem'' Aria replied, ''I'll be right back'' she said, before disappearing between the racks filled with wedding dresses.

''There are a _lot_ of dresses'' Emily said, as they slowly made their way around the shop, while they waited for Aria to come back, ''Which again reminds me of how much of a dislike I have for actual shopping'' she told them, as she went through a rack, searching for something that might interest the bride to be.

''You might want to watch out with what you're saying'' Tara said, ''You might have to go down the aisle yourself one day'' the brunette told her friend.

''Yeah...I don't think that's going to happen'' Emily snorted.

''What do you mean?'' Reid frowned, as he watched his friends make their way around the shop, while he just followed closely behind, still feeling out of place.

''Yeah, what do you mean?'' Tara asked too, ''Mark might, someday, go down on one knee'' she said.

''Highly unlikely'' Emily told them, ''Because he's back in London again'' she said, avoiding eye contact, keeping herself busy with looking through the dresses.

''Wait...what?'' Tara furrowed her brows, exchanging a look with Reid, who didn't understand what Emily had just said either, ''Why is he back in London again?''.

Emily sighed and let go of the dress she was just examining, before looking up to her friends, ''Because we broke up'' the raven haired woman told them.

''When?'' Reid frowned.

''In February'' Emily answered, ''Apparently he couldn't quite settle here'' she said with a huff.

''And he figured that out in what...less than a month?'' Tara raised an eyebrow, thinking you needed much more time than just a month to figure something like that out, especially when its about a possible future with a woman you claimed to love.

''Apparently'' Emily sighed.

''Are you all right?'' Reid asked the woman, seeing the sadness in her eyes.

''Yeah, I'm okay'' Emily smiled, though it didn't look sincere in her friends eyes, ''I'll be fine'' she assured them, not wanting them to worry about her. Besides it has been two months since they broke up, and she's pretty certain that she's over him.

''If you want to talk about it, you can always talk to me, you know that, right?'' Tara told her best friend, wanting to let her know that she was always there for her.

''I know'' Emily said softly, appreciating her friends concern and love, ''But there's nothing really to talk about'' she told them, ''He broke up with me, he moved back to England, and eventually I'll get over it''.

''Maybe'' Tara said with a shrug, ''But still...you were with him for a while, you did love him''.

''True'' Emily nodded, ''But it's okay, deep down I think I knew that this wasn't forever'' she said, ''At one point I did think that he could be it. But, looking back, we didn't really have anything going for us in the end''.

''Well, at least you found that out before things got too complicated'' Reid told her.

''Yeah, lucky me'' Emily exhaled.

''Ladies, gentleman'' Aria's voice cut through their conversation. A chirpy tone, which reminded Tara of her fiance, lacing the blonde's voice. ''So...I've picked out a selection of four dresses, and if you will follow me I can show them to you'' she told the brunette.

''Yes, of course'' Tara's lips turned up into a smile, feeling a little giddy. She was so ready to finally find a beautiful dress, fitting for the best day of her life.

''Did you find anything of interest yourself?'' Aria asked the woman, as they made their way to the dressing rooms, while Emily and Reid took a seat on the couch, waiting for Tara to come out.

''No'' the brunette shook her head, ''I haven't really looked''.

''That's okay'' Aria said, as she gestured to the dressing room she had ready for Tara to use. Four dresses hanging neatly on hangers on the right side, while a mirror was right across from them, and a chair stood on the left side corner.

''These look pretty'' Tara commented, when she got a better look at them.

''They are'' Aria agreed with a nod and a smile, ''But...eventually we don't want _just_ pretty. Eventually we want you to be wow'ed by the dress. We want you to have fallen in love with the dress'' the blonde told her.

''Okay...'' Tara said with an amused smile, humoring the woman, but not thinking that was actually ever going to happen.

She has never fallen in love with a piece of clothing, so she highly doubted that she would ever fall in love with a dress, not even a wedding dress. She could think that the dress was beautiful, even gorgeous, but in her mind it was unlikely to actually fall in love with a piece of clothing. Clothes just didn't do that for her, unless they were on her fiance's body. Which instantly reminded her that Penelope might have those kind of reactions, that she might actually fall in love with a dress, especially if it was worn by her. And so, for the shake of her fiance, she would try and find something that had the wow factor. Something that made Penelope look at the brunette like she was her world. Though she didn't actually needed a dress for that, because the blonde already looked at her like that.

And it wasn't like she didn't want to look beautiful, or find a gorgeous dress, for a special day, she just couldn't imagine falling in love with a dress. That's all.

''All right...'' Aria clapped her hands together, shaking Tara from her thoughts, ''Lets start with the first dress'' she said, as she closed the curtain behind them, and took the first wedding dress from the hanger, while Tara started to undress.

* * *

''O my God'' JJ gasped, as she looked up at her friend in awe, ''You look absolutely beautiful'' the blonde said, while looking her friend up and down.

''Jayje, I think I'm actually in love with a dress'' Penelope's lips curled up into a wide smile as she looked at herself in the mirror. It had been a couple of months since Tara's trip to the bridal shop, and today was Penelope's last fitting before the actual wedding, and the blonde didn't think she could fall even more in love with her dress than she did the first time she saw it.

''As you should be'' JJ lightly chuckled, ''It fits you perfectly'' she told her good friend.

''Tara is going to drool, Babygirl'' Morgan said, as he looked at his best friend with a grin on his face.

''You think?'' Penelope's lips widened even more.

''Definitely'' Morgan nodded, knowing for sure that the brunette wasn't going to believe her eyes when she finally saw her fiance in her wedding dress, walking down the aisle.

''So I'm guessing all the adjustments are to your liking?'' Aria, the same woman who had helped Tara a couple of months ago, asked the blonde.

''Oh...yes, most definitely'' Penelope replied to the woman, as she couldn't tear her eyes away from her reflection in the mirror, every new detail her eyes caught making her fall even more in love with the dress.

''I'm glad'' Aria grinned, as she looked the blonde over, focusing on all the things they had changed, and seeing if everything was adjusted right. Seeing if nothing was out of place, or stitched wrong, ''Everything seems to be adjusted right, so if you're happy with the way it looks right now, you can take it home with you'' she told Penelope.

''Really?'' Penelope's eyes lit up at the mention of being able to take her wedding dress home.

''Yes'' Aria nodded, ''No need to keep it here when it's completely done'' she said.

''Great'' Penelope smiled.

''Come on, I'll help you get out of the dress, and I'll put it in a clothing bag, so you can safely take it home with you'' Aria told the blonde.

''Sounds good to me'' Penelope said with a nod, before following the other blonde into the dressing room again.

After having changed back into her normal clothing, Penelope walked out of the dressing room, Aria already having left with the dress a couple of minutes earlier, and met her friends at the front of the shop, by the cash register.

''Happy?'' JJ questioned her friend with a smile.

''More than'' Penelope beamed, her eyes twinkling with happiness.

''Damn, you look more in love with the dress than with Tara'' Derek teased with a laugh.

''Shut up'' Penelope rolled her eyes, ''I'm just really happy with my wedding dress, there's nothing wrong with that'' she said with a shrug.

''No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, Penelope'' JJ said, while throwing Morgan a glare, daring him to say anything more.

''I was just saying'' Derek threw his hands up in defense.

''Here you go'' Aria walked up beside them, dress in hand.

''Thank you'' Penelope smiled thankful, as she took the clothing bag from the woman.

''I see you've already paid part of the dress already'' Aria said, walking behind the cash register and gathering the receipt for the dress, reading over the details, ''Which means that there's still an amount of $225,98 still left to pay''.

''Yes, I know'' Penelope said, already reaching in her purse for her wallet, Derek taking the dress from her hands, so she could pay.

''Cash or card?'' Aria asked.

''Card'' Penelope replied, handing over her credit card.

After the official things were dealt with, Penelope took back her dress from Morgan, and the threesome made their way out of the shop after saying goodbye to the blonde that had helped them.

''Who's up for an early dinner?'' JJ asked the other two, when they walked out of the shop and into the busy street of Washington DC.

''I'm sorry, I can't'' Morgan replied, ''Savannah is expecting me in less than an hour'' he said, ''We've finally got a night off with my Mom in town, so we're going out for dinner''.

''Oh, yeah'' Penelope said, ''How is Momma Morgan doing?'' the blonde asked, as they walked to their cars. Penelope having driven with JJ, but Morgan having come on his own.

''She's doing good, she loves spending time with her grandson'' Morgan told her with a smile.

''I bet'' JJ chuckled, ''She's been asking for grandbabies from you for a long time, so now that she has one, she'll be spoiling him''.

''Well, that's the thing, she does spoil him just not with stuff and things, she spoils him with attention'' Morgan told the two blonde's, ''Which Savannah and I are happy with, because once you start giving them everything they want, they won't ever be satisfied when they get older, because they only want more''.

''Oh, I know'' JJ said, having had that problem the moment Henry was born with her own mother, ''I eventually had to tell my Mom to stop sending Henry stuff, because she just literally went over board''.

''Luckily my Mom didn't do that'' Derek said, feeling grateful for that, ''But guys, I gotta go'' he told the pair.

''Yes, of course'' Penelope said, ''Go, enjoy your evening with your lovely lady'' the blonde smiled.

''Will do'' Morgan replied with a smile of his own, ''I'll see you guys next Friday'' he told them, giving both of his friends parting hugs.

''Yes, next Friday'' Penelope nodded, ''I don't really have a time, so just get to JJ's house whenever you can'' she told the man. Penelope and Tara had decided to both have their bacholerette parties on the same night, and eventually settled on Tara staying at their house, while Penelope would go over to JJ's, before eventually moving on to Daniel's bar. Splitting them, including their team, up.

''I'll text or call you, okay'' Morgan promised.

''Okay'' Penelope replied with a soft smile, ''Go'' she ushered him to his car.

''I'm going, I'm going'' Morgan chuckled, as he walked backwards to his SUV.

''Give your Mom a hug and kiss from me'' Penelope called out after him.

''I will'' Morgan called back, before turning around and walking away.

''So...early dinner?'' JJ asked her friend when Derek was gone.

''Sounds good to me'' Penelope smiled, and with that the pair made their way to JJ's car.


End file.
